Few players have divided Newcastle United fans like Nick Woltemade.
The 24-year-old arrived as a club record signing - United paid around £64million for him last summer - and after a positive start, faded badly. Misused, misunderstood or just not up the scratch, I’ll let you decide on that one.
But the German international was allowed to leave by new head coach Matthias Jaissle, and in many ways that tells you all you need to know - he was not part of his countryman’s immediate plans.
While fans remain divided on the polarising debate about Woltemate - it was often used as a tool in a much wider conversation about the performance of former boss Eddie Howe - the player himself has reacted positively to his experience in England, the Premier League and at NUFC.
After his Juve announcement, Woltemade talked of the vital footballing lessons he learned while on Tyneside, ones he hopes will benefit him on his Serie A journey.
“Last year I moved to England, where I learned a lot, physically, obviously, but also in terms of tactical intelligence. These are all aspects I’ve brought with me,” said Woltemade.
“Now I’m happy to be in Italy and playing in another big league. In particular, I’m now at a big club like Juventus, so that’s something very positive for me.
“I honestly can’t wait to get started. It’s always difficult for me to say what my goal is in advance: I just want to enjoy the moment, and I think that, if I can do that, I’ll be able to express myself at my best on the pitch. We’ll see how things go, but first and foremost, I’m very happy and can’t wait to play!”
Will NUFC fans see Woltemade again after his Juve stint? Well, there is no obligation or option to buy written into the temporary deal. However, you get the sense that this is purely about money - and you’d expect the performances of the player elsewhere from now largely determine how much the Magpies stand to lose on him. It’s fair to assume no team in the world is matching what United paid 12 months ago in a panic while watching Alexander Isak saunter off to new pastures.