Rummenigge had publicly derided Newcastle’s decision to pay around £69 million for German forward Nick Woltemade, quipping:
“I can only congratulate the people in Stuttgart for finding … ‘a fool’ who paid that much money, because we certainly wouldn’t have done that in Munich.”
Speaking from Brussels ahead of Newcastle’s Champions League tie with Union Saint-Gilloise, Howe was dismissive of the jibe:
“I always think with these types of things, it’s irrelevant really. Market forces dictate transfer fees, not necessarily any one club.”
He added, “Whatever we have paid for him is irrelevant. What he is going to be judged on is how he performs in the team and what he gives to the club going forward.”
Howe went on to praise Woltemade’s early contributions, acknowledging that the forward joined amid challenging circumstances and with limited time to integrate:
“He’s started very strongly in what has been a difficult period for him. It’s frustrating for him to have had no training time with us of any note. I think he’s done really, really well. We’re really pleased to have him with us.”
Despite the lofty price tag, Howe insisted that Woltemade’s character would stand him in good stead under pressure:
“He’s not that type of character … I don’t think he necessarily overthinks too much, which is a really big strength.”
“He looks like he’s enjoying his football, enjoying being here … and ultimately that is the key.”
By redirecting the focus away from transfer fees and toward performance, Howe has made clear that, in his view, the only currency that truly matters at Newcastle is what a player delivers on the pitch.
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