Stories suggest that one of Newcastle’s brightest attacking talents could leave this summer - but should they sell or keep hold of him?
There’s a definite hint of Alexander Isak in young William Osula. Between his tall, spindly frame and the loping strides which beget a surprisingly sharp burst of acceleration, the shades of the Swede are apparent in both his physique and his playing style, but there’s another way in which Osula could end up reminding fans of his former team-mate: He could leave Newcastle.
The i reported on Monday that the 22-year-old has suitors in the Premier League and in Germany, with Everton and Aston Villa named as clubs who could make a move – and suggests that Newcastle could sell in order to fund what could prove to be an extensive summer rebuild. But how likely is it that Osula follow Isak in departing St. James’ Park, and should Eddie Howe try to hang on?
Why Newcastle could sell William Osula this summer
Neither Newcastle nor their manager have been shy with their complaints about the ways in which the Premier League’s spending rules have infringed upon their spending power in recent years, and nothing seems likely to change this summer – in order to sign new players, the Magpies have to sell.
The likely departure of several players, not least Anthony Gordon and Tino Livramento, means that a busy summer lies ahead, but even were that not the case Newcastle are likely to be in a situation where they must sell to buy. Given the evident need for a new centre-forward, that is expected to mean that at least one of the player currently on the books will leave.
Newcastle probably want that to be Yoane Wissa, but a dire season may depress his market. Nick Woltemade seems set to be given another year to carve out a role for himself. That suggests that if a buyer can’t be found for Wissa, then Osula is a potential sacrifice.
It’s one that the club were ready to make a year ago, when the Dane nearly joined Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported fee of £30m. He would likely be worth twice that now, and that may encourage Newcastle to consider offers – and unlike Wissa, there’s a guaranteed market.
The brace he bagged against West Ham on Sunday, which took his tally to seven Premier League goals for the season, was a perfect piece of advertising to put in the shop window, questionable celebration routines aside. Young, fast and seemingly blessed with the kind of predatory instincts which can’t easily be coached, it wouldn’t be surprising if several more teams than the i's reporting suggests were keen.
If Everton and Aston Villa come in with bids approaching £60m they would likely price most Bundesliga sides out of the market, giving them an edge in the bidding if they do decide to make a move, but any team who muscles in with a sufficiently large wad of cash will have Newcastle’s attention as a matter of economic necessity. And at that point, they will have a difficult decision to make.
Why Newcastle should consider keeping Osula for next season
Osula’s sum total of seven goals in 23 Premier League appearances this season isn’t an especially attention-grabbing tally – but given further context, it’s clear that there’s good reason to believe that he could be a rather special young striker.
Those goals have come from an xG of just 4.29, giving him one of the sharpest conversion rates in the top flight, while his record of a goal every 114 minutes is the very best in the division, a fraction ahead of Erling Haaland. As his finishes against West Ham neatly demonstrated, he has the confidence and precision in the penalty area to flourish given an expanded role.
He also has the rare combination of pace and intelligent movement that allowed his predecessor Isak to thrive even with relatively limited support from those around him. He doesn’t necessarily need a number 10 close by or inverted wingers to push up towards him to flourish, which isn’t necessarily true of players like Wissa and Woltemade who have been more successful with team-mates in close proximity.
In short, Osula has the natural skillset to be a fine fit for Howe’s system, has been one of the finest finishers in the Premier League over the course of the start of the season, and seems to be gaining the coach’s trust as a starter. With no pressing contractual reasons to sell him – Osula is tied to Newcastle until 2029 – there’s a strong argument for handing him the starting role next season and seeing what he can do with it.
There are areas in which he can improve, of course, especially in terms of his dribbling (Isak’s ability to take the ball past defenders was crucial to his success) and his prowess in the air – for a player of his height, winning less than a quarter of his aerial duels is concerning. But the most important skills are there, and he’s already putting them to extremely good use.
Whether Newcastle’s recruitment team agree or not remains to be seen, and if they find a striker that they like the look of in the transfer market then selling Osula may be seen as a necessity in order to sign them. There’s also the possibility that if they hang on to him and he doesn’t reach his potential, then they will have thrown away a chance to maximise their profit. Newcastle still feel like a club who make key decisions with finances firmly in mind, after all.
But Osula is a significant talent who is proving to be more than capable of leading the line of a Premier League team. Perhaps on this occasion, Newcastle should focus less on the ledgers and more on giving Osula a chance to shine.
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