Nick Woltemade compared to Harry Kane as Eddie Howe criticised for failing Newcastle star

Nick Woltemade plays a similar style to Harry Kane and Eddie Howe has been too stubborn to learn how to integrate him into the team.

That's the bold view of talkSPORT's Inside The Toon panel, who believe Eddie Howe is wrong about the German and if he started a game, people would see how talented he truly is.

The 24-year-old joined the Magpies from Stuttgart last summer in a £69million deal intended to replace Alexander Isak.

While he became the first Newcastle player to score in his first three home games, his form has dipped, leading to minimal minutes as a substitute.

The forward has not netted a goal in any competition since last year, which has encouraged Howe to experiment with the player in various roles including as a No.10, a lone striker and in central midfield.

The Kane comparison

Commenting on how to utilise him best, Head of Sun Sport Shaun Custis said: "There is a bit of Harry Kane about him, the way he drops off the ball, the way he scans for it.

"He has the ability to find the space, get on the ball, and has a bit about him. He can make a great pass, he just can’t finish [at the moment].

"In the air, I have huge reservations, but his build-up play, and his ability to link the ball is fantastic."

After Isak moved from St James' Park, Newcastle needed a similar threat. If they had recruited a player of Harry Kane's level, the fans would be impressed, especially considering the England international's prolific season with 33 goals in the Bundesliga.

However, the former Bournemouth boss has lost his last four Premier League games, and Woltemade has not played a full 90 minutes since the start of December.

Howe's tactical stubborness

While the German has recently been branded one of the worst signing in the league's history, talkSPORT's Jack Cunningham defended him, blaming Howe for being too fixated on a specific style of play.

He said: "I feel like Howe doesn’t know what to do with him, Howe likes a physical profile in a player, those who press from the front and have a high-top speed.

"Woltemade is just so different. Football has become so focused on the physical side, which is why people enjoy watching players like Rayan Cherki... because it’s a throwback to naturally appealing football.

"Woltemade is in that same category. He has seven goals this season, our second top goalscorer and he’s only had 12 shots on target!

"That shows we’re not creating enough chances for him but when he does have a shot on target, he’s pretty clinical with it and the way he has been treated in the second half of the season is terrible.

"You have a £69million record breaking signing, you have to make an effort to integrate him into the team."

The player's future in the north east has been under intense scrutiny after he removed the club's Instagram tag from his bio.

However, fans later realised he had cleared all tags, including those for Adidas and the German national team, suggesting it was not a targeted move against Newcastle.

Against Arsenal, Woltemade made 16-minute cameo, creating a perfect pass for Yoane Wissa, who unfortunately volleyed the effort over the bar.

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