Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has urged record signing Nick Woltemade to raise his game as the Magpies look to turn around a challenging start to their Premier League season.

Newcastle return to action on Saturday against Manchester City, sitting 14th in the table after a string of underwhelming domestic results, a stark contrast to their strong showings in the Champions League.

Germany international Woltemade, signed from Stuttgart for a club-record £69 million over the summer, made a flying start to his Newcastle career, scoring five goals in his first eight appearances across all competitions.

However, the 23-year-old has found the net just once in his last six games for the Magpies. He did, however, shine on the international stage, netting a hat-trick across World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia during the recent break.

“Considering the limited training time we’ve had with him, I think he’s done really well and has tried to implement what we’ve asked of him,” Howe said on Friday. “He started strongly in terms of goals, and those international goals will do wonders for his confidence. Confidence is everything for a centre-forward.

“But we have to demand more from him. As the focal point of our team, we need him to consistently step up.”

Woltemade’s responsibility is even greater with fellow summer signing Yoane Wissa sidelined after a knee injury. Wissa, acquired for £55 million, has yet to make his Newcastle debut, leaving Woltemade to carry much of the attacking burden.