Newcastle make Nick Woltemade U-turn as Eddie Howe 'worries' grow

Newcastle United are not planning to part ways with Nick Woltemade or Yoane Wissa as they do not expect to sign a striker this summer.

Eddie Howe has been assessing key areas for improvement in his squad, and before the window opened, he had been keen to strengthen his attacking options.

However, major departures and missing out on other transfer targets mean there are new priorities for the Magpies to address, with a striker now low on the pecking order.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Howe's concerns are growing and he may have to start the season with a weaker squad than he had hoped.

However, keeping hold of both Woltemade and Wissa has now become key for the Magpies, who are reluctant to lose too many players and leave themselves with too many holes.

Heading into the season with last summer's two struggling signings, alongside Will Osula, who Howe has high hopes for, has been flagged as a potential concern for Newcastle.

What is the latest on Nick Woltemade's future at Newcastle?

Football Insider first revealed in Ferbruary that Newcastle were preparing to accept offers for Woltemade after what proved to be a dissappointing first season in England.

The German international, alongside strike partners Wissa and Osula, scored a combined 16 goals in 76 Premier League appearances as Newcastle struggled last season.

However, they are now preparing to head into the season with the new trio after major departures have left Howe scrambling to prevent further sales.

"Before the transfer window opened, Newcastle wanted to sign a new striker," Brown told Football Insider.

"Neither Woltemade or Wissa have managed to live up to expectation and there was a feeling that they could be replaced, it's certainly something Newcastle had looked at.

"But their circumstances have changed now and there are positions that have become really important for them to address before the season starts.

"They've lost important players in midfield and out wide who are going to need replacing, so at the moment, there are no plans to let any of their current options move on.

"It looks like they're going into the new season with Woltemade, Wissa and Osula as their three strikers, which isn't necessarily the position they wanted to be in.

"But they're not looking to move any of those three strikers on, and signing another striker has fallen down their list of priorities because they're looking elsewhere.

"Eddie Howe has other worries he wants to deal with before causing any new ones by letting more players leave and creating more holes in the squad."

What are Newcastle's updated priorities this summer?

Football Insider revealed in May that Newcastle were planning to sign a new right-back, striker and central midfielder ahead of the summer transfer window.

However, circumstances at St James' Park have now changed following the big-money departures of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, and fears they could lose Bruno Guimaraes.

The addition of replacements for the winger and central midfiedlers will now be prioritised, with work ongoing behind the scenes to land top targets in key positions.

Meanwhile, there will also be a focus on defensive improvements ahead of the new season given the current lack of depth across Howe's back line.

Having already missed out on top targets in key positions, including Victor Munoz and Johan Manzambi in this summer's transfer window, the positions remain major priorities.