Germany legend and Stuttgart advisor Philipp Lahm has given a scathing critique of Newcastle’s €90million signing of Nick Woltemade.
The all-time footballing great was writing in his Die Zeit column when he opted to go after his countryman, and in particular Newcastle’s spending.
Calling the deal ‘roulette’, he added: “The Saudi Arabian owners and the club’s management are new to the business.
“In a gold-rush mentality, you make mistakes and believe in miracles.”
Discussing Woltemade in particular, he continued: “He thrives his free spirit and self-confidence and seems to want to reinvent the game at number 9.
“But he hasn’t yet developed any consistency or patterns.
“We don’t know how well he’ll perform in the Champions League. He hasn’t played a European match yet, as Stuttgart omitted him from their international squad last year.
“Woltemade is a player with virtually no track record. He was top scorer at the U21 European Championship, he did so as one of the oldest players in one of the oldest teams.
“The best footballers like Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Jamal Musiala or Florian Wirtz do not take part in such tournaments because they have long since escaped the level.”
Lahm then addressed Wirtz in particular, who left Bayer Leverkusen for Liverpool in a €137.5m deal.
“Florian Wirtz’s CV is a rigorous one. Even as a teenager, he caught the attention of the industry,” he said.
“It was only a matter of time before he would make his breakthrough,” said Lahm.
“Every time he’s on the pitch, you can see how Wirtz interprets his role as a number 10. He resolves difficult situations, prepares for new ones, and, as an individualist who puts himself at the service of everyone, is the ideal team player.
“In the games so far, I’ve observed that he’s getting into the groove and adapting to the pace and intensity of the Premier League.
“He’s releasing the ball early, gaining increasing confidence, and gradually increasing his risk.”
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