Newcastle star labelled 'worst ever epl signing' after latest defeat

Newcastle United's high-profile summer signing, Nick Woltemade, has been harshly criticised as potentially the "worst-ever Premier League signing" following a dramatic downturn in form and questions over his role in the team.

The German international arrived at St James' Park from Stuttgart for a reported £69 million.

He was signed to replace Alexander Isak, and arrived to great fanfare and huge expectations.

Woltemade, 24, initially showed promise, scoring five goals in his first ten appearances for the Magpies.

However, his performances have since plummeted, with the striker managing just a single goal in his last 17 games in 2026. His struggles have even seen manager Eddie Howe deploy him in a deeper central midfield role in recent matches.

This positional uncertainty and lack of goals prompted talkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham to make a bold claim, suggesting Woltemade is a contender for the worst "pound-for-pound" signing in the league's history.

"Nick Woltemade, I am going to say this – is the worst signing in Premier League history," Durham stated.

"This isn’t anything against him, it isn’t personal – I hear he’s a very good teammate. But £65-70 million for one of those, and we’ve got to delve deeper."

Durham pointed to a recent European fixture as a key example of the problem.

"Their expensive striker needs goals, and he starts in central midfield... He didn’t play well in central midfield. Eddie Howe said he didn’t play well... saying it is the least he’s affected the game since he arrived at the club."

The presenter questioned Woltemade's suitability for any specific role in the team.

"Is he a nine? No. One goal in 18 games is not a nine. Is he a midfielder? No, definitely not. Is he a ten? Have a look at the number tens around the Premier League... There are better number tens in the Championship than Woltemade."

The scathing assessment follows recent comments from Newcastle's all-time leading goalscorer, Alan Shearer, who also identified Woltemade's playing style as a growing "issue" for Howe.

"Clearly Woltemade is an issue for Newcastle," Shearer told Premier League Productions.

"Because the money they spent on him, near enough £70m, then deciding to play Gordon as a centre-forward tells you he’s not quite been what they thought he could be in that position."