Woltemade and Jaissle now in 'constant touch' – but Newcastle recall off the cards

Matthias Jaissle has reportedly remained in regular contact with Nick Woltemade following the striker's loan move from Newcastle United to Juventus.

The Newcastle head coach is said to have kept in touch with the German forward in recent weeks, but despite that ongoing relationship, a return to St James' Park is not an option in the new year as Jaissle hopes for a striker signing in January.

Jaissle in 'constant touch' with Big Nick

According to The Chronicle, sources close to Nick Woltemade say Jaissle has been in “constant touch” with the striker in recent weeks.

It is an interesting development, particularly given that the decision was made to send the German out on a season-long loan to Juventus. Jaissle has previously spoken positively about Woltemade and made clear that he rates him highly, so it is encouraging to hear that the relationship between the pair remains strong.

Woltemade has already started to make his mark in Italy, scoring four and assisting two for Juventus, including his first Serie A strike over the weekend. His progress will certainly be worth keeping an eye on, especially with our own struggles in front of goal this season.

However, one problem is we cannot simply bring him back in January. Newcastle World have reported that there is no January recall clause in the loan agreement, meaning Woltemade is expected to remain in Turin until the end of the season.

Case for January signing becomes stronger

If there was any hope that Woltemade could return midway through the campaign and provide a much-needed boost to our forward line, it appears we can forget about that for now.

That makes the January transfer window even more important. It feels like we need more goals and a greater physical presence up top, and with Woltemade unavailable, the club cannot afford to rely on the same options for the remainder of the season.

Elements of Will Osula's game remain very raw and Matias Fernandez-Pardo isn't a natural No.9, while Yoane Wissa has yet to make the impact many of us would have hoped for since his £55m arrival. 

For me, questions must be raised over Wissa's future. Should a suitable offer arrive in January, could we cut out losses and put that money towards a new striker? He may have started the season brightly, assisting against Liverpool before scoring in our 2-0 win at Spurs, but the DR Congo captain has looked lost and, at times, slightly disinterested in recent weeks.

For now, Jaissle's reported contact with Woltemade is a positive sign that the door remains open for the German to have a future at Newcastle. But with no January recall available and a move for Ivan Toney seemingly a non-starter, Ross Wilson may have to line up a suitable alternative ahead of the winter window.