Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has leapt to Nick Woltemade 's defence after Bayern Munich executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claimed Stuttgart had found "an idiot" to pay £69 million ($93m) for him.

The 23-year-old Germany international arrived at St. James' Park for a club record fee on deadline day as the Magpies reinvested some of the £130m they had raked in for Alexander Isak .

Bayern were also engaged in the race to sign Woltemade, but ultimately had to admit defeat, prompting Rummenigge to tell Blickpunkt Sport: "I congratulate Stuttgart, because they found an idiot who paid the money we didn't want to pay in Munich."

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Asked about the former Germany frontman's co

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