Nick Woltemade has been talking about Sandro Tonali and making his [Big Nick’s] first move to an Italian club.
The Germany international talking to DAZN.
Nick Woltemade having moved to Juventus for this season on loan.
However, he played against Sandro Tonali this season before making his switch to Serie A.
Tonali having previously played in Serie A for Brescia and AC Milan before getting his big chance to sign for Newcastle United, who he then left this summer to more than double his wages at perennial relegation fighters Tottenham.
Two weeks ago Sandro Tonali and Tottenham lost 2-0 at home to United, Nick Woltemade coming off the bench and instantly getting an assist for Yoane Wissa’s goal that sealed a deserved victory for Matthias Jaissle’s side.
Nick Woltemade now asked by DAZN if he had discussed it with Sandro Tonali before deciding to move to Serie A.
The Juventus loan striker replying: “My last game in England was against [Sandro Tonali and] Tottenham, then two days later I joined Juventus, I told him Sandro Tonali before this game that I was in talks with Juventus and that I could move, he said ‘Class, class.’…”
Nick Woltemade going on to say about Sandro Tonali: “We had a really good connection. There were many guys from England last season [at Newcastle United] all the guys not from England sat together. Sandy and me, Malick Thiaw, who played at Milan, we were at one table together for dinner and lunch and we just enjoyed the time, he is such a good guy. He and Malick would always speak about the Italian league, so now I can also speak with them about the Italian league, that is really nice. Sandro Tonali texted me after I signed [for Juventus] and he said congratulations on this big club you can play for. I have been here for just one week so we didn’t have a chance to talk much but I will text him maybe in a bit. As I said, he said ‘class’, it has to be a good sign.”
Obviously Nick Woltemade wanting to try and make the best out of a less than ideal situation.
Matthias Jaissle having seemingly decided that the Germany international doesn’t really fit with how he wants this Newcastle United team to play. So a year out on loan the best solution for all parties and hopefully Nick Woltemade can get plenty of first team football at Juventus this season, then perform well and score goals. Then next summer a case of evaluating what is then the best way forward.
I think Big Nick’s words about the seating arrangements for meals last season for the Newcastle United squad aren’t exactly as his basic words suggest.
So I doubt very much it was two big tables, one filled with all English players and the second table “all the guys not from England” with also the likes of Krafth, Botman, Wissa, Elanga, Schar, Joelinton, Bruno and Osula also sitting with Tonali, Thiaw and Woltemade.
Like any workplace you are going to find yourself having more in common and form close friendships with certain individuals, rather than a mass ‘us and them’ scenario when it comes to whether you are English or not.
Malick Thiaw and Nick Woltemade are both German, so no surprise they were close, as were Bruno and Joelinton. Whilst Thiaw and Tonali were both at AC Milan at the same time previously. Which makes the three of them sitting together not a great shock.
Credit: Juventus FC
Juventus are next in action on Sunday away at Sassuolo, hopefully Nick Woltemade gets his first start for them.
Woltemade and Randal Kolo Muani played together up front in the late stages of the Juventus 1 AC Milan 1 match last Sunday, when Gatti scored a late equaliser for Juve.
The possibility now of them playing together as starters, with Nick Woltemade playing behind a main striker.
Interesting to see from a Newcastle United perspective whether this can pay dividends if it is tried.
Nick Woltemade telling DAZN: “At Stuttgart we also played with two strikers; now against Milan we did the same with Kolo and me, he played as a number 9 and I moved around a bit, but it can change. Stuttgart was a really good time in my career and I really enjoyed it. I think that is why I scored many goals and won the cup as well. It was a nice time for me, [maybe] we could do the same here, win games and titles, I want to do the same, scoring goals and help the team win games.”