'Absolutely irrelevant' - Newcastle United fiercely respond to 'idiots' claim
Club chiefs at Bayern Munich have criticised Nick Woltemade’s move to Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe says Nick Woltemade’s price tag is “absolutely irrelevant” after Newcastle United were branded “idiots” for paying it.
The Magpies beat Bayern Munich to Woltemade’s signature after striking a £69million club-record agreement with Stuttgart a few days before the summer transfer window shut.
Officials at Bayern have regularly commented on Woltemade’s fee and this week saw Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, a member of the German giants’ board, slam United.
Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge brands Newcastle United “idiots”
Rummenigge told BR programme 'Blickpunkt Sport: “I'll be honest, when this story with Woltemade and then the demand from Stuttgart came up, I, as well as Uli, Herbert Hainer, Jan Dreesen, and Max Eberl, said - folks, we're slowly getting to a level that I simply don't find acceptable anymore.
“I can only congratulate those in Stuttgart for finding - I'll use quotation marks here - an idiot who paid that much money. Because we certainly wouldn't have done that in Munich.”
Eddie Howe responds to Bayern Munich bitterness
When those comments were put to Newcastle head coach Howe, he replied: “I always say with these types of things, it's irrelevant really, the market dictates him to transfer fees, not necessarily any one club.
“We're very pleased to have Nick with us. I think he's started very strongly. It must have been a difficult period for him because he's thrust straight into action, no training time with us really of any note, and I think he's done really, really well. So we're really pleased to have him with us, the transfer fee for me is absolutely irrelevant.”
Woltemade has enjoyed a productive start to life on Tyneside, scoring two goals in three Premier League starts.
Howe added: “Yeah, great to see him score. As I said when we signed him, we know he's a big player and that has to be a source of goals for him with the height that he brings, and it's something we felt we could really improve.
“Those two headers are all his own work and he deserves the praise for them, because they're two outstanding moments, and it shows that hopefully once the team services him and gives him better balls in and around the boxes, other ways he can score as well, but that's certainly a promising start.”
Has Nick Woltemade been affected by price tag talk?
For all the noise from Germany, Woltemade, according to Howe, has not let his price tag affect him.
“He’s not that type of character,” Howe said. “I don’t think he necessarily overthinks too much, which is a really big strength. Whatever we have paid for him is irrelevant. What he is going to be judged on is how he performs in the team and what he gives to the club going forward.
“I would urge any footballer to try and dust that off, but it’s easier said than done. I’ve seen players myself be weighed down by either the fee or the expectation but he’s very relaxed. He looks like he’s enjoying his football, enjoying being here, and ultimately that’s key.”