Nick Woltemade announced his arrival in emphatic fashion, powering Newcastle United to their first Premier League victory of the season with a debut goal that justified his hefty £64.9 million ($87.5m) price tag.
The 23-year-old German striker needed less than half an hour to make his mark at St. James’ Park, heading home in the 29th minute to secure a 1-0 win over Wolves.
Remarkably, his first strike came nine minutes quicker than Alexander Isak’s debut goal for the Magpies back in 2022.
Eddie Howe’s side, however, had to dig deep for the result. Wolves, who remain pointless after four matches, threatened early and would have taken the lead but for two superb saves from Nick Pope to deny Rodrigo Gomes and Hwang Hee-chan.
Newcastle gradually found their rhythm, with Woltemade at the heart of their attacking play. Jacob Murphy curled an early effort just wide before forcing Sam Johnstone into a sharp save, while Sandro Tonali rattled the post in first-half stoppage time as the hosts looked to double their advantage.
Woltemade’s breakthrough came when he rose above Emmanuel Agbadou to meet Murphy’s cross, planting his header firmly past Johnstone to send the home crowd into raptures.
Wolves responded with a Rodrigo Gomes header that flashed wide and remained competitive throughout, with Hugo Bueno particularly lively down the flanks.
After the break, Newcastle pressed for a second with Kieran Trippier and Tino Livramento pushing high, but they lacked a clinical edge. Harvey Barnes went close late on, only to fire over from Bruno Guimarães’ clever flick.
Wolves applied late pressure in search of an equaliser, yet Pope’s assured presence ensured Newcastle held firm.
While Howe knows his team must improve ahead of Thursday’s daunting Champions League clash with Barcelona, the relief of finally getting points on the board was clear.