When Alexander Isak decided that it was time to up sticks again and move from north east Premier League giants, Newcastle United, to north west behemoths, Liverpool, it clearly put Eddie Howe and the Magpies board between a rock and a hard place.
It was blindingly obvious that the Swedish international was never going to put on the black and white striped shirt again, but Newcastle had to be seen to be doing their utmost to keep hold of a striker who had been one of their best captures of recent years.
Newcastle fans idolise their centre-forwards
The Magpies have some of the most passionate and dedicated supporters in world football despite their relative lack of success, and had the club rolled out the red carpet for Isak to waltz to Anfield, Newcastle's powers that be would never have heard the last of it.
What held up any deal going through was the lack of a replacement, and it had to be someone who the club believed wouldn't be cowed by the responsibility of being the new centre-forward.
Ever since 'Wor' Jackie Milburn via Malcolm McDonald, Alan Shearer and more, Newcastle supporters had idolised their main front men, so getting the new signing right was imperative.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike was heavily linked with a move to St. James' Park, only for him to head to Liverpool before Isak had signed on with the Anfield giants.
With time running out in the transfer window, Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade was secured and though he's far from the finished article, the 23-year-old has been impressive of late.
Impressive year for Woltemade
For a start, he had a standout tournament for the German U21 side at this summer's European Championship, and although his team ultimately came up short in the final against England, his six goals ensured that he finished top scorer in the tournament.
12 goals and two assists in the Bundesliga for Stuttgart last season was by far his best return to date, though it should be pointed out that the club finished exactly halfway down the German top-flight.
In a better footballing side, with respect, Woltemade would be expected to flourish, particularly as the service from the wide areas from the likes of Kieran Trippier, Jacob Murphy, Tino Livramento, and others is likely to be of decent quality.
Thanks to his 6ft 6in frame - which means he's even taller than Erling Haaland - once he gets used to the physicality of the English top-flight, defenders are going to find it difficult to knock him off the ball.
Unlike Haaland, however, he isn't just a throwback kind of centre-forward, and he was even nicknamed 'Woltemessi' by his Stuttgart teammates.
Great technique for a big man
He has been lauded for his footwork and how nimble and light he is for a big man, whilst his technical abilities are second to none.
His link play and close control are other areas of his game which are more readily associated with a diminutive type of front man, whilst two call-ups already to the senior German national team suggest that his star will continue to rise.
Just 21 goals in five seasons since he began his career at Werder Bremen might have the Geordie faithful scratching their heads as to why Newcastle paid close to £65m for his services, but it's important to understand that Woltemade didn't properly break through until last season.
Furthermore, his peak years as a player are still some way off and, should the German marksman fulfil his evident potential and transfer fees continue to rise exponentially, Woltemade may well turn out to be a huge bargain.
Where he also adds value is with his creativity and the ability to bring others into play, and his passing accuracy for Stuttgart last season went as high as 81.8% which is astonishing for a centre-forward.
Will his role evolve under Eddie Howe?
He will need to improve on his success rate in aerial duels and those one-on-ones on the ground, as to this point, there's a negative balance with both, though there must be an understanding that he has only played 85 games in his senior career, of which only 39 have been as a starter.
He does win the majority of his tackles - up to 70% success last season - and will also help out in defence when necessary, providing another string to his bow.
His role may even evolve if Eddie Howe just wants the striker employed as a 'killer' in the box. With Woltemade's enviable all-round skill set, however, that could be a dereliction of duty on the manager's part.
As long as Newcastle's supporters understand and accept that the striker will grow into his role rather than expecting the same output as was seen from Isak straight away, there's no reason to think that Woltemade won't be a success on Tyneside.
And the player himself will soon realise that if he starts banging in the goals, there's nowhere that he'll be hero-worshipped more.
