Newcastle United welcomed attacker William Osula to the club last summer, but they had an opportunity to make a completely different move instead.
The 2024 summer transfer window was full of despair, regret and ultimately disappointment. The Magpies sold two promising young players to avoid a PSR points deduction and were not able to replace them.
Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh left Newcastle United and were not replaced. However, a bright patch in that transfer window was that William Osula joined Newcastle and has shown glimpses of quality in his limited appearances.
Osula scored his first Premier League goal for Newcastle in their 3-0 win against Ipswich Town in April, and Eddie Howe was delighted. Howe said Osula’s goal could be a “turning point” for him, and admitted the header he scored was of the “highest level”.
At just 21 and under Howe’s tutoring, Osula can become a very good player. However, it could have been a completely different story in that transfer window if Newcastle had opted to sign a player who has gone on to have a fantastic season at his new club.
Photo by Michael Driver | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Michael Driver | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Why Newcastle United didn’t sign Liam Delap in 2024
Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap had a brilliant first full season in the Premier League, despite the Tractor Boys suffering relegation back to the Championship.
Delap’s 12 Premier League goals ensured he gave a good account of himself despite their relegation, and has now garnered interest from some of the top clubs in England.
Reports have claimed Delap was linked with a move to Newcastle this summer, but it now looks like he is destined to join Manchester United. Delap has a £30m release clause, a fee Newcastle can afford this summer, but there are reservations over how much game time he will receive with Alexander Isak the Magpies’ undeniable first-choice striker.
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The same reservations were apparent last summer when Newcastle were looking to sign Delap. According to Chris Waugh of the Athletic, Newcastle have tracked and followed Delap for some time, but the striker was ready for regular game time in the Premier League. Ipswich could offer him that, but Newcastle were not able to.
Waugh adds that if Newcastle had qualified for the Conference League, they could have signed a striker of Delap’s profile and given him more minutes.
Osula was always seen as a project player, which is why Newcastle have eased him in this season.
What Eddie Howe thinks of William Osula’s development at Newcastle United
Despite barely playing for the Magpies all season, Osula has quickly become a fan favourite on Tyneside.
Newcastle fans called for Osula to be picked ahead of Callum Wilson following the defeat to Aston Villa in April. The Dane has been given more minutes in recent games, most recently in Newcastle’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal last Sunday, where he impressed during his 30-minute showing.
With the Magpies returning to Europe next season, Osula could be in line for more minutes at Newcastle to give Isak more recovery time after European games.
William Osula 2024/25 Premier League Statistics
Appearances 13
Goals 1
Assists 0
In an interview after the Arsenal loss, Howe said Osula has a long-term future at Newcastle and claimed he was impressed by his performance off the bench at the Emirates Stadium.
Alexander Isak should be fit to play Everton in the final game of the season, but Howe has a big choice to make in his starting XI over who plays between Osula and Wilson if the Swede is not available.