Newcastle United Coach Responds to Criticism Over Transfer Fee
Eddie Howe has dismissed Karl-Heinz Rummenigge's assertion that Newcastle United were "idiots" for paying £69 million for Nick Woltemade, calling the comments "irrelevant."
The Bayern Munich supervisory board member congratulated Stuttgart for "finding an idiot who will pay that much money" and emphasized that Bayern would not have made such a financial commitment during an interview with Blickpunkt Sport.
Newcastle recently broke their transfer record to sign the German striker after Bayern failed to secure him despite multiple bids.
Howe refrained from engaging in a verbal dispute with Rummenigge but defended the club's investment. "It’s irrelevant, really," the Newcastle head coach stated regarding the comments. "Market forces dictate transfer fees – not necessarily any one club. We’re very pleased to have Nick with us. I think he’s started very strongly in what has been a difficult period for him, as he’s been thrust straight into action with minimal training time with us."
He added, "He’s done really well. We’re really pleased to have him, and the transfer fee is absolutely irrelevant." Newcastle has faced criticism from individuals associated with Bayern since the deal was finalized.
Honorary president Uli Hoeness suggested that Newcastle's strategy was "nothing to do with football" and likened it to a game of Monopoly, while sporting director Christoph Freund remarked that Newcastle is a "good club but not the top tier." Additionally, Max Eberl, the club's board member for sport, questioned whether the transfer was a strategic move or an act of desperation.
Despite the surrounding controversy, Woltemade, 23, has remained unaffected by the comments or the hefty price tag, scoring two goals in his first three Premier League appearances. "He’s not that type of character," Howe noted. "I don’t think he necessarily overthinks too much, which is a significant strength. Whatever we have paid for him is irrelevant. What he will be judged on is his performance in the team and what he contributes to the club going forward."
He added, "I would urge any footballer to try to brush off such comments, but it’s easier said than done. I’ve seen players become burdened by the fee or expectations, but he’s very relaxed. He appears to be enjoying his football and being here, and ultimately, that’s key."
Woltemade scored the opening goal against Arsenal over the weekend, but Mikel Arteta's side came back to win 2-1 with late headers from Gabriel and Mikel Merino.
Howe has encouraged his team to use the manner of the defeat as motivation to "regroup and come back stronger" ahead of their Champions League match against Union Saint-Gilloise on Wednesday. "I don’t necessarily feel that there’s a hangover," he said before the game in Brussels. "For me, it should be a motivator. If we could replay those moments, we would need to do better as a group and respond more effectively to the threats we faced in those final minutes."