Alan Shearer has labelled Nick Woltemade “an issue for Newcastle” amid questions over his role and recent performances under Eddie Howe.

The Germany international joined the Magpies from Stuttgart for ￡69million in August, replacing Alexander Isak after his record-breaking move to Liverpool.

Woltemademade an encouraging start, scoring seven Premier Leaguegoals in his first 23 appearances, with all seven arriving before the turn of the year.

However, he has failed to score in seven league matches in 2026 and has not started any of Newcastle’slast four Premier League fixtures.

Speaking after Newcastle’s defeat to Manchester City, Shearerquestioned whether the club-record signing has found his place in Howe’s system.

“Clearly, Woltemade is an issue for Newcastle. The money they spent on him, near enough ￡70million, 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.”

“They’re trying to work out what’s best for him. Is he a No.10? Probably not. They try and play him in more of a midfield role… you see he can’t press, because he hasn’t got the legs, he hasn’t got the energy to do what Eddie Howe’s teams have done which have made Newcastle successful over the years.

“You saw that with the second Manchester City goal, when he went to press he was beaten far too easily. He is an issue for Newcastle. It was always going to be a difficult situation because of the Alexander Isak situation, because of what he did and what happened. It hasn’t worked well for anyone.”

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Woltemade’s dip in output has coincided with Yoane Wissa’s return to fitness, and Howe has opted to use Anthony Gordon through the middle in recent weeks rather than persist with the 24-year-old as a central striker.

Reports this week have suggested Newcastle would consider selling Woltemadethis summer if the right offer arrives. Bayern Munich, who held talks before his move to England, are among the clubs monitoring the situation, although the Magpies are not understood to be actively pushing him out.

Instead, the club are said to be working on adapting him into a deeper, false nine or No.10 role within Howe’s system, rather than viewing him strictly as a like-for-like replacement for Isak.

Howe, however, dismissed suggestions of discontent and insisted the forward remains an important part of his plans.

“He seems really happy. What you see is what you get with Nick. He’s always laughing, he’s been really good in the dressing-room and built up a close friendship with Malick [Thiaw], which is great to see.

“He’s well liked by the group and that’s a really big thing for any player. The guys really like his personality and the fact that he’s very much a team player. He’s got good humour, doesn’t take himself too seriously and he’s one of the lads.

“When I see reports that he’s not happy, that’s not the player that I’m seeing. He’s looked really good on the pitch the last few games, I’ve been really happy with him performing at a really high level and I don’t see any issues.”

The contrast between Shearer’s assessment and Howe’s public backing underlines the uncertainty surrounding Woltemade’s role.

Signed as a headline replacement for Isak, he has shown flashes of his quality but has yet to establish himself as Newcastle’s undisputed focal point.

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