Archive October 1, 2025

Idiotic or a fair price? Newcastle’s Woltemade and the £69m fee

By in News, Sports News
Charlotte CoatesBBC Sport journalist and Jonty ColmanBBC Sport journalist

Newcastle didn’t have until the deadline day to sign a striker after a frustrating summer.

The football world was aware of their plans to replace Liverpool-bound Alexander Isak and was set to receive a sizable sum of money, as it turned out.

Clubs would naturally request a premium from the Magpies.

Yoane Wissa from Brentford for £55 million? No issue.

Nick Woltemade, a German international, for £69 million? OK.

Woltemade, 23, looks a great signing after scoring twice in three Premier League games and once in the Champions League.

So Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, a board member of Bayern Munich and a legendary former player, said Newcastle were “idiots” for paying £69 million for the German striker.

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What was said about the value of Woltemade?

Head and shoulders view of Nick WoltemadeGetty Images

Rummenigge, a former German star forward and supervisory board member at Bayern, felt that Stuttgart’s demands were too high for a player who had just joined SV Elversberg two years ago.

Woltemade, 23, joined Newcastle after scoring 12 goals in 28 Bundesliga games for Stuttgart last season.

In the Under-21 European Championship, where Germany lost to England in the final, he also scored six goals.

Rummenigge said in an interview with Blickpunkt Sport, “I can only congratulate those in Stuttgart for discovering an idiot who paid that much money. Because “that’s not what we would have done in Munich,”

Eddie Howe, manager of Newcastle, defended the club’s expenditure.

The head coach of Newcastle said, “It’s completely irrelevant.” Transfer fees are determined by market forces, not necessarily by any particular club.

“We’re very pleased to have Nick here. Because he was thrust straight into action without any notable training time with us, I believe he has made a strong start to what has been a challenging time for him.

What is the value of Woltemade?

It is difficult to determine a player’s true worth.

The bottom line is what someone is willing to pay, like anything else.

Woltemade is worth £69 million, which is what Newcastle paid for him.

The comprehensive database of Transfermarkt, which provides transfer data for BBC Sport, is one of the few reference points publicly available for valuations.

There is a catch in this situation right now. Woltemade’s most recent valuation was at the beginning of June, at €30 million (£26.1%).

What followed? A few months ago, he had a breakout.

His most recent Transfermarkt valuation came one day after earning his first senior role with Germany.

He then led Germany’s Under-21 World Cup lineup, earning the Golden Boot and the tournament team name.

Would those exploits add $43 million to his value, without a doubt, but that would undoubtedly do the same?

Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee were the only players who were selected for England’s win over Germany at the Euros, along with Jarell Quansah, who was signed for £35 million from Liverpool.

Woltemade made his seventh-tightest summer arrival in the Premier League.

Woltemade’s valuation on Transfermarkt was the lowest among the 26 most expensive new signings made by top-flight clubs.

At €50 million (£43.5 million), the same website values striker Nicolas Jackson, who was signed by Bayern from Chelsea on loan. Jackson was given a conditional purchase agreement by Bakeren for a £14.3 million loan.

Nicolas Jackson celebrating for Bayern MunichGetty Images

Bayern, do you not also spend a lot?

Harry Kane (£86. 4 million) and Lucas Hernandez (£68 million) are the only players Bayern have signed for more money than Newcastle did for Woltemade.

In the last 18 months, Bayern have turned to England for a number of their forwards. Deals for Kane, Michael Olise (£50m) and Luis Diaz (£65.5m) cost a combined £201.9m.

The rest of Europe is covered in Premier League spending.

A record-breaking summer saw the release of a sizable £3 billion in transfer spending by Premier League clubs, more than the sums spent by all teams in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A.

Premier League clubs spent an unprecedented £3 billion following the conclusion of a record £6.7 billion four-year domestic TV deal and the additional revenue generated by newly expanded European club competitions.

Liverpool, the reigning champion of the Premier League, paid a staggering $415 million, while Barcelona, the reigning champion, paid just under $24 million.

Napoli, the reigning champion of Italy, spent just under £80 million on new players, compared to Bayern, who won in the Bundesliga.

With the exception of Real Madrid, promoted Sunderland had a net spend of 118 million more than any other club in continental Europe.

With just over £1 billion spent on top-tier league teams, Serie A and the Bundesliga were the second-highest spenders in Europe.

Re-sale value

Although signing Woltemade for a player who had only played 69 top-flight games before this year is a lot of money, there is a certain amount of long-term planning in the deal.

The player’s final years should be ahead of him, at age 23. Isak, the man he has replaced this summer, serves as a good example of what Newcastle hopes to get from the German.

Newcastle signed the Sweden international for around £60 million in 2022 after recording a record of 44 goals in 132 Real Sociedad appearances. At the time, Newcastle was 22.

Isak’s goals with Newcastle put an end to the club’s 70-year quest for a significant trophy and placed the Magpies in the Champions League twice in three years.

After all of that, Isak was purchased for £125 million, more than the club’s offer of him three years prior.

Newcastle will hope to see Woltemade replicate Isak’s success both on the pitch and in the boardroom.

Former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison, who said, “Woltemade at Newcastle, they could end up making money on him.”

He is only a young child, and I believe he could be successful in a few years where he can earn a good living.

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Danish PM warns that Russia is waging hybrid war on Europe

By in News, World News

Mette Frederiksen, the prime minister of Denmark, has warned that Europe must arm itself in the face of Russian hybrid warfare.

“I hope everyone understands that there is a hybrid war where there is one that involves Poland, one that involves Denmark, and the other where there is likely to see sabotage or drones flying,” Frederiksen told reporters on Wednesday.

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She was facilitating a summit of European leaders, where they discussed how to collaborate on better defense and deterrence.

Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, was present as well, and he urged the EU to approach Russia cautiously.

Macron said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the summit in Copenhagen that “we must all be very cautious because we are in a time of confrontation with a lot of hybridity.”

“We must be strong to stop aggressions, but we must also be very cautious and steer clear of any escalation,” he continued.

Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, also warned against overreacting.

“Despite everything, I believe we must think in a calm manner. I believe that provocations shouldn’t be used against us. That is certainly true, and we must equip ourselves, she said.

Conventional methods like tanks and missiles are used in hybrid warfare, as well as unconventional ones like cyberattacks and internet disinformation, according to the authors.

The French president cited cyberattacks during elections, its war against Ukraine, the use of nuclear threats, and recent airspace violations as evidence that Russia has been “a very aggressive player” for some time.

Following a number of drone incidents last week that occurred close to the country’s airports and military installations, the EU’s heads of state and prime ministers convened in Denmark’s capital.

A unique radar system was installed at Copenhagen Airport prior to the meeting to aid in surveillance. A week ago, the airfield was closed due to unidentified drones, which caused significant disruption.

Prior to the talks, Denmark received aircraft, ships, and air defense systems from France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK.

There is only one country that is willing to threaten us, and that is Russia, so we need a very strong response back, according to Frederiksen, despite the Danish authorities’ failure to identify those suspected of doing so.

In response to growing threats, the Danish prime minister made an appeal for rearmament.

“We need to rearm,” I want. I want to purchase additional capabilities. For instance, she cited the need for more innovation in drone technology. “I believe that this is the most challenging and dangerous situation for Europe to date since the end of World War II,” he said.

Airspace violations

Over the past month, serious airspace violations have been reported in Europe, but not everyone is in agreement on a plan.

Macron last week claimed that the alliance’s response would have to “go up a notch” in the event of “new provocations” from Moscow after Russia was held responsible for drone incursions against NATO members Poland and Romania.

If a Russian fighter jet were to enter European airspace, Macron did not rule out downing it.

In an interview with the German daily newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, he said, “In accordance with the doctrine of strategic ambiguity, I can tell you that nothing is ruled out.”

Poland reported last month that it had shot down Russian drones as Moscow launched an airstrike against Ukraine, while Romania’s defense ministry claimed a drone had breached its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukrainian infrastructure.

Macron also alleged on Wednesday that an oil tanker off the coast of France had “very serious wrongdoings” and connected it to Russia’s shadow fleet, which is avoiding Western sanctions for its involvement in Ukraine’s conflict.

Last week, the tanker was off the coast of Denmark, and Danish naval experts cited it as having flown drones over the Nordic nation.

In the shadows of US President Donald Trump’s commitment to NATO, leaders and intelligence services predicted that Russia would launch an offensive elsewhere in Europe in three to five years following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Can Keir Starmer overcome his political challenges in the UK?

By in News, World News

The left’s and right’s ratings are both down, with Labour PM’s conference speech coming as a result.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced the difficult task of rallying his party amid the bleak ratings on Wednesday, one year after his enormous victory in the election.

The right-wing Reform UK Party, led by Nigel Farage, poses his biggest threat. Labour is pressing for more border security because of its hardline stance on immigration.

Starmer’s speech at the Labour Party conference displayed energy and passion, qualities he has come under fire for in recent months.

Will Starmer’s success be assured, or will his days in office be over?

Presenter: Nick Clark

Guests:

Former policy advisor to Labour governments led by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Patrick Diamond is a professor of public policy at Queen Mary University of London.

Jennifer Nadel, a cross-party think tank that promotes ethical governance and legislative change, is a political communications strategist and co-founder of Compassion in Politics.

Published On 1 Oct 2025

Sharon Osbourne reveals tragic twist of fate over Ozzy’s final resting place

By in Entertainment News, News

Ozzy Osbourne makes plans for the future in what turned out to be his final weeks, according to a new BBC documentary called Sharon &amp, Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home.

Sharon Osbourne refers to her English home as “heaven” in a new film about her life with late husband Ozzy and poignantly says: “As long as he is with me I am alright.”

The couple planned to move back to the UK after Ozzy played a farewell gig in the Summer for Black Sabbath fans at Villa Park. But sadly just days later he died and Sharon, 72, has subsequently buried her beloved Ozzy in the grounds of their heavenly home and she has been living life solo instead.

A new BBC documentary Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home which airs tomorrow night(Thursday) is all about their plan to relocate to the UK in 2025. Speaking shortly before they returned to UK, Ozzy said: “We are so used to running after the kids we don’t know what it is like to be with ourselves and to be with each other. I can’t wait until I am there.”

READ MORE: Rocker Ozzy Osbourne’s final love notes to wife Sharon revealedREAD MORE: Ozzy Osbourne ‘planned to say goodbye at 70’, new BBC documentary reveals

Ozzy can choose whether to spend the rest of his life here or there, Sharon then said. Both of us are at home here. I’m okay as long as he is with me.

The pair are then shown in the grounds of their Buckinghamshire home enjoying the wildlife and the lake this Summer. Sharon tells Ozzy she wants to get more deer, whilst Ozzy makes plans to set up his fishing rod in the lake one day. But sadly that day never came.

Just weeks after reuniting with his band for a farewell concert at Villa Park in his hometown of Birmingham, Ozzy passed away on July 22 from a reportedly heart attack.

Osbourne and his wife Sharon’s move back from the US, where they had resided for more than 20 years, was the original intention behind the BBC documentary, which was released as a series in 2022.

However, the three-year project “evolved as Ozzy’s health deteriorated” into the one-hour film, according to the BBC.

Sharon is shown back in Buckinghamshire, before Ozzy’s death and she says on returning home: “It was just like I could breathe. It’s our little piece of heaven. All you hear are birds, little bit of our dogs barking, Ozzy screaming.”

The documentary also makes it clear how in love Sharon and Ozzy were when he passed away. Speaking to the cameras, Sharon revealed that Ozzy is “very romantic” and says he leaves her little notes around the house.

The notes can be seen on screen saying things like ‘You are the love of my life’ and ‘my baby girl I love you’.Other notes read: “Ya know what? I love ya”, and “Dearest darling Sharon, I don’t half love you.” Many of the messages have been framed by Sharon and remain a lasting memory in her home. A second documentary about Ozzy and Sharon will also air next week on Paramount+ which is a look back over his solo career and his final ever gig, with all of the family interviewed including their three children.

Ozzy says to the cameras, “If my life is coming to an end, I really can’t complain,” perhaps aware of his own mortality. My life has been wonderful.

He had a brilliant career, according to his wife Sharon, and it ended brilliantly.

Ozzy, the frontman of Black Sabbath, revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and that he had undergone extensive spinal surgery to stop touring in 2023.

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In 2019, he fell while at home, which aggravated injuries from a near-fatal quad bike collision in 2003.

* Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home, Thursday 2 October, 9pm, BBC One & iPlayer.

Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne pictured in each other’s arms as they made heartbreaking plans

By in Entertainment News, News

Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home, the couple explores wildlife and makes plans for the future, only for Ozzy to pass away soon after the new BBC documentary Sharon &.

Ozzy Osbourne is seen smiling as he got to briefly enjoy a return to England – and was excited to be there for his birthday. A new BBC documentary shows Ozzy with wife Sharon doing a tour of their home in Buckinghamshire on a buggy.

Cuddled up together looking at their lake, Ozzy says: “I could go down their and set up camp with my fishing pole one day.” Sharon adds: “I want to get some more deer because they’ve been dying of because they are so old.” Ozzy responds by telling her to get more, and the pair look happy and content back In the UK once more.

On returning, she says: “It was just like I could breathe. It’s our little piece of heaven. “All you hear are birds, little bit of our dogs barking, Ozzy screaming.”

Sadly, Ozzy died just weeks after returning home, and just days after his final farewell gig with Black Sabbath at Villa Park this Summer.

Ozzy, who turns 77 in December of this year, also declares, “Wow, yeah, I’ll be spending my birthday in England. Get all my toys out for about a week before going crazy. My quad bikes are no longer with me, and the majority of them are gone. I’m no longer permitted to use them. I and Jack and I had a lot of fun on them.

He tells his daughter Kelly, “I’m scared to go back because I’m,” and she uses “LA,” but he decides to do it because Sharon has told him it’s “beautiful.” And he consents there as well. Just weeks after reuniting with his band for a farewell concert at Villa Park in his hometown of Birmingham, Ozzy passed away on July 22 from a reportedly heart attack.

Osbourne and his wife Sharon’s move back from the US, where they had resided for more than 20 years, was the original intention behind the BBC documentary, which was released as a series in 2022.

However, the three-year project “evolved” as Ozzy’s health “went from the one-hour film” to the BBC, according to the BBC.

Sharon and Ozzy’s feelings for him were also made clear in the documentary after his passing.

Sharon made the revelations to the cameras that Ozzy is “very romantic” and that he leaves her small notes all around the house.

Continue reading the article.

You are the love of my life, according to the notes, which can be seen on screen, and “My baby girl, I love you.” “Ya know what,” the other notes read. I adore you,” and “I don’t care half about you, dear Sharon.” “Sharon has framed many of the messages, which will haunt her forever,” she said.

* Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home, Thursday 2 October, 9pm, BBC One & iPlayer.