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HOWE PRAISES NICK WOLTEMADE: STAR STRIKER READY FOR UCL CHALLENGE DESPITE SETBACK WORRIES

Newcastle star Nick Woltemade, settled in with eight goals and his best friend, laughed off questions about his dating life ahead of the crucial UCL game vs. Leverkusen.

Howe Praises Nick Woltemade: Star Striker Ready for UCL Challenge Despite Setback Worries
Woltemade Dismisses Dating Rumours

Newcastle United's Nick Woltemade chuckled when asked about his dating life since moving to Tyneside.

The 23-year-old striker spoke at a press event before heading back to Germany for Wednesday's Champions League match against Bayer Leverkusen.

Woltemade, who joined from Stuttgart four months ago for about £69 million, has had a great start, scoring eight goals and getting one assist.

When asked about how he's settling in, he mentioned living with his best friend.

"I don't get why everyone's talking about living with my friend," he told reporters. It's normal when you move to a new country, right? I just asked my friend to come with me. I don't know what you call it in English, living with your best friend.

Then, when asked if he's met anyone special, Woltemade laughed and said, No, too many games!

Newcastle is currently in fifteenth place in their Champions League group, with three wins and two losses.

They’re up against a Leverkusen team that's not doing so well in their domestic league, sitting fourth and trailing the top spot by 15 points.

However, Eddie Howe had good things to say about the German team, which let go of their previous coach earlier in the year.

Reaching the next phase is what we want, Howe said. It'd be great to avoid a playoff, but we’re up against some good teams.

I’m happy with how we've played in the Champions League so far. We deserved more in our two losses. Bayer Leverkusen is a great team with a clear style, so it'll be tough.

Lately, we've had trouble defending set plays, but that's fixable. You always find things you suddenly need to work on during the season.

Howe also gave an update on Yoane Wissa, who played his first game for the club in their 2-1 victory over Burnley.

Howe said Wissa has worked hard to get here. He still has some work to do to reach his peak. Howe said he's happy to have him available, and they’ll manage his playing time.

Once Yoane is at full speed, which he isn't quite yet, he'll be ready to start, Howe added. We'll decide game by game.

After the Champions League game, Newcastle will travel to Sunderland for the Tyne-Wear derby.

€75 MILLION BID: NEWCASTLE LAUNCHES MASSIVE TRANSFER OFFENSIVE FOR FERRAN TORRES

Newcastle United has reportedly launched a shock €75 million bid, plus a huge salary offer, for FC Barcelona forward Ferran Torres, testing the Catalan club's resolve.

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Will Barcelona Sacrifice Ferran Torres for Newcastle's Big Money?

Newcastle United is reportedly planning a big move in January for FC Barcelona forward Ferran Torres. According to Fichajes reporter Raul Cabrera Jimenez, the club is ready to offer €75 million, plus a good salary, to bring the former Premier League player back to England.

Jimenez stated that Barcelona is in a busy period of the transfer window after Newcastle United showed strong interest in signing Ferran Torres with a huge offer of 75 million.

The situation heated up after Manchester United and Chelsea made £60 million bids for Harvey Barnes.

Jimenez wrote that Newcastle responded with an even bigger offer to show their financial power in the transfer market.

The report says Barcelona was surprised by Newcastle's big offer, calling it one of the highest in this transfer window. Jimenez pointed out that Torres has been in good form, scoring nine goals and providing one assist in 17 games before Tuesday’s game, which is why several clubs are interested in him.

Jimenez added that Newcastle plans to make Torres one of the highest-paid players in the team, offering him a salary of £13.5 million per season. This shows their desire to get a player who can really change the game from day one.

The report also talked about the issue that Barcelona is facing. Jimenez said that the club needs money, but it also wants to keep its good players, and Ferran Torres is one of them.

Even though Barcelona had said before that Torres was not for sale, with NUFC already contacting them in the past, Jimenez said that FCB must now consider the big money offer against the player's new importance under Hansi Flick.

Jimenez finished by saying that the next few weeks will be important, as Newcastle is determined to push for a signing that will help them progress and compete at the top of the league.

JANUARY BLOCKADE: AZ ALKMAAR SET TO REJECT NEWCASTLE'S KEES SMIT BID

Newcastle's hopes of signing AZ Alkmaar's sought-after midfielder Kees Smit in January are slim. Alkmaar aims to keep him until summer to maximise their Champions League push.

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Newcastle Faces Blow in Pursuit of Alkmaar Star Smit

Newcastle United might be out of luck in their pursuit of Kees Smit, the AZ Alkmaar midfielder.

The Magpies are very interested in Smit, and there were talks Newcastle would try to sign him in January before other clubs made their offers, as most clubs were expected to wait until summer.

The 19-year-old has become a wanted player after his great performance with Alkmaar. Newcastle is only one of many clubs watching him.

Alkmaar knows how popular he is, and so does Smit, which makes things harder for Newcastle.

Newcastle needs patience if they want Kees Smit.

Even if Newcastle makes an offer for Smit in January, The Telegraph thinks they will be let down.

AZ Alkmaar is trying hard to get into the Champions League this season and is currently in third place in the Eredivisie. They probably won't let one of their best players leave while they feel they can do great things.

They also know how much interest there is in the young star and want to get the best price for him. The best way to do that is to keep him until the summer and wait for a bidding war.

Newcastle's chances of signing Kees Smit don't look good.

It was always a long shot for Newcastle to make the deal happen in January; even if Alkmaar wasn't doing so well this season, they would still not want to let a big player leave mid-season.

If other clubs wait until summer to make their offers, Alkmaar will likely wait to see what happens.

A bidding war would hurt Newcastle's chances, but that's what happens when you compete for top players. They had a tough time in the summer, and things probably won't change much next summer.

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