Will Osula. Jacob Ramsey. (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
It’s been a difficult campaign to fully assess for Newcastle United.
Heavy investment last summer — particularly following the departure of Alexander Isak — hasn’t quite delivered the expected results, with inconsistency plaguing their Premier League form.
A solid Champions League run has provided some positives, but domestically it’s been underwhelming, with the Magpies on course for a bottom-half finish.
One clear bright spot, however, has been the emergence of a young forward who is now attracting attention across Europe.
Howe Wants to Keep Osula
Eddie Howe has made it clear he wants to keep William Osula at the club this summer, despite growing interest in the 22-year-old striker.
Osula has forced his way into the spotlight in recent weeks, scoring four goals in his last six Premier League appearances — including an early strike in the win over Brighton that justified Howe’s decision to start him ahead of more expensive attacking options.
His rise is particularly notable given he was close to leaving the club last year, with a move to Eintracht Frankfurt collapsing late on and interest also arriving from Aston Villa. Now, his form has firmly put him back on the radar — but Newcastle are keen to hold onto him.
Howe didn’t hide his intentions when asked about the striker’s future: “I’d definitely like to keep him. I think Will’s a player of really rich promise, and he was when we signed him.
“We signed him with the view of developing him to try and build him to become a Premier League player, because that certainly wasn’t the player that we recruited.”
He also praised the forward’s mentality, adding: “Great to see, then, when he comes into the team and gets an opportunity that he grabs it. He’s very hungry, he’s very motivated, he believes in himself.”
With his stock rising quickly, Osula could yet attract serious bids — but Newcastle’s stance is clear: they see him as part of their future, not a player to cash in on.
This is the kind of dilemma clubs actually want.
Sell high on a breakout talent, or back him to become something even bigger? Right now, Newcastle are choosing belief — and Osula’s next few months could prove whether that faith pays off.
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