Abdulhafiz TeslimNick Woltemade has revealed Sandro Tonali’s reaction to his move from Newcastle United to Juventus, admitting that his former teammate gave him a one-word response before the transfer was completed.
Woltemade joined Juventus on a dry loan deal from Newcastle on deadline day, meaning the Serie A giants do not have an option to make the move permanent.
Speaking to DAZN, the Germany international revealed that he had discussed the potential transfer with Tonali before his final game in England.
“My last game in England was against Tottenham, and two days later I joined Juve,” Woltemade said.
“I told him before the game that I was in talks with Juve and I could move, and he said ‘Class, class.’
“We had a really good connection. Last season, there were many guys from England; 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’s such a good guy.”
Woltemade added that Tonali and Thiaw would regularly discuss Italian football, making his own move to Serie A even more interesting.
“He and Malick would always speak about the Italian league, so now I can also speak with them about the Italian league, and that’s really nice. It’s a great character,” he continued.
“Tonali texted me after I signed; he said congrats on this big club you can play for. I’ve 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 before, he said ‘class’, it has to be a good sign.”
Woltemade made his Juventus debut last week, coming off the bench during their 1-1 draw against AC Milan at the Allianz Stadium.
“It’s nice to be here. In the first week, there are many new impressions and many new things to learn — a new language too — but I’m really happy to be here,” he said.
“I can’t wait to get more used to it — to the language, to the league and to life here.”
The striker also spoke about working under Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti, admitting that the Italian coach made a strong impression on him from their first meeting.
“When I met him the first time, my family was also there. At my age, you say, ‘this guy has aura.’ He has big aura, I’d say,” Woltemade said.
“He looks calm, but on the pitch he’s clear about what he wants to see and how the team should play. He takes care of me; I want to improve my game.
“That’s why I’m here; I want to improve my game as a player. I really appreciate that he’s working with me like this.”
Woltemade also discussed playing alongside Randal Kolo Muani, with the pair featuring together in the final stages against Milan as Juventus searched for an equaliser.
“At Stuttgart, we also played with two strikers; now, against Milan, we did the same with Kolo and me,” he explained.
“He played as a No. 9; I moved around a bit, but it can change.
“Stuttgart was a really good time in my career; I really enjoyed it. I think that’s why I scored many goals and won the cup as well.
“It was a nice time for me; we could do the same here. Win games and titles. I want to do the same: score goals and help the team win games.”
The Germany international does not have a specific goals target for the season but made it clear that he wants to rediscover his scoring rhythm.
“I don’t have it. I just want to score a lot,” he said.
“It always comes with the flow; I want to get back into that rhythm. I had it at Newcastle too, especially at the beginning, and I want it back.”
Woltemade also reacted to comments from Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon, who recently suggested that the striker could have a similar impact at the club to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“When I saw it, I was impressed, to be honest,” Woltemade admitted.
“I don’t know him personally, but obviously as a player. When you see these kinds of players talking about you, it’s a nice feeling.
“He said, in the same sentence, Ibrahimovic and Woltemade, said by Buffon… these are big names. I’m not saying I feel uncomfortable about this, but I really appreciate it.
“I’m happy people talk about me. Hopefully, he’s right. He’s a legend; I’m proud he put my name in his mouth.”
Woltemade also acknowledged the similarities between his physical profile and Ibrahimovic’s style.
“I’m so tall, there are not many players in my position I can look after. Ibrahimovic was a fantastic player, with really good technique.
“He’s way more flexible than me for sure, but it’s nice for me to see players who are tall and can play good football. It was the best example. Hopefully I can pick up a bit of that from him.”
admin
Abdulhafiz Teslim