Newcastle sign Woltemade for club-record fee of £69M

Newcastle, Aug. 31: Germany striker Nick Woltemade became Newcastle's record signing Saturday after joining from Stuttgart for a reported fee that could total £69 million.

Newcastle's move for the 23-year-old Woltemade increases the possibility of Alexander Isak finally leaving for Liverpool, which has already had a bid rejected for the Sweden international in this transfer window.

Woltemade scored 17 goals in 33 games for Stuttgart last season, was the top scorer at the recent under-21 European Championship and made his national-team debut for Germany in June.

"From the first contact, I felt like the club really wanted me and had big plans for me," said Woltemade, who was reportedly pursued by German champion Bayern Munich for much of the offseason.

"It's a big step in my life to leave Germany but everybody has welcomed me so well and it already feels like family. I have a really good feeling from speaking to the head coach that this is the right place for me to find my best level."

Woltemade started his career at Werder Bremen and was its youngest-ever Bundesliga player, as a 17-year-old in 2020. He spent the last season at Stuttgart, standing out because of his height — 6-foot-6 (1.98 metres) — and technique.

Newcastle has struggled to find a potential replacement for Isak all summer, having also released fellow striker Callum Wilson.

"We're delighted to get Nick's signing over the line so quickly," Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said. "He fits the profile for exactly what we have been looking to add to our attacking options.

"He's strong in a lot of areas — he has great technical ability and has proven himself to be a real threat in one of Europe's top leagues — but he's also still at an age where he has plenty of room to develop and grow here."

Similarly, AC Milan signed dribbling expert Christopher Nkunku from Chelsea on Saturday for a reported fee of €37 million (£31 million).

The French player signed a five-year contract, Milan announced without providing financial details.

The 27-year-old Nkunku came up through Paris Saint-Germain's youth system before moving to Leipzig in 2019. He spent the last two seasons at Chelsea and his extra-time goal sparked the Blues to a win over Benfica in the round of 16 at the Club World Cup — which Chelsea went on to win — in July. He scored 18 goals in 62 matches for Chelsea.

Known for his one-on-one abilities and speed with the ball, Nkunku will be counted on to add pace to Milan's attack. He can play both as an attacking midfielder and as a forward. He has made 14 appearances for France.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said in August that Nkunku would no longer be part of the squad — after joining on a six-year deal in 2023 that was worth £52 million.

"Christo is a fantastic professional," Maresca said Friday. "The only problem with him is that in his position we have Cole Palmer, so it was tough to find minutes for him."Milan bounced back from a loss at the San Siro to promoted Cremonese in its Serie A opener with a 2-0 win at Lecce on Friday. (AP)