- William Osula in red hot form for Newcastle United
- Eddie Howe’s comments back in October predicted rise
- Striker almost sold for £30 million last summer
With yet another goal from William Osula in the 3-1 win over Brighton, the Newcastle United bagsman took his tally to three goals in his last four starts.
The decision to turn down his sale to Eintracth Frankfurt for £30m at the last minute last summer continues to pay off, as Osula’s development sees him blossom into a very good option for Eddie Howe’s men.
Osula has kept both of the big-money summer signings, Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade, out of the team in recent weeks, to the dismay of some fans. But who can argue when he continues to find the net whenever he plays?
Eddie Howe predicted William Osula rise
Eddie Howe spoke in October about the importance of Will Osula and how pleased he was to retain his services amid the proposed move away from the club.
Howe said: “It was well documented that it was quite close for him, that he could have left.
“A loan was always our preference because we wanted Will to play and continue his development. The next step was for him to try and play regularly, so that was the aim.
“Much to our relief, it didn’t happen because, obviously, Yoane picked up an injury. And Will’s vitally important — we believe in his talents.
“But what he’s added through his continued attitude in training is a lot more know-how in terms of how to manage game situations.”
Interestingly, that last point is exactly what Howe has referred to in recent weeks as his main reason for team selection.
Clearly, Osula’s continued determination to work hard and prove himself has paid off — not only in the eyes of the manager on the training pitch, but also in his on-pitch performances.
Newcastle United striker rises up the pecking order
Osula has still had limited minutes this season, but has made a much greater impact than he did in the previous campaign. This has led to his current position as the undisputed first choice.
Last season, he was comfortably behind Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, despite the latter’s sporadic fitness.
Many fans were rather thrilled when the £30m offer came in from Frankfurt, marking a doubling in value, and were somewhat disappointed when the deal fell through after Wissa’s injury.
Concerns about his ability largely centred around inconsistency. There were flashes of brilliance, but nowhere near enough to either endear him to fans or force his way into a starting role.
Howe mentioned back in October how impressive his development had been, and that progress has only continued.
There are still some unorthodox and raw elements to his game, as shown by his excellent turn on the halfway line before running the length of the pitch and blasting the ball into Row Z against Brighton.
However, it must be said that the margin for those types of errors has reduced significantly, especially in recent weeks, and Osula is now a very worthy contender for minutes in Howe’s plans.
What does the future hold for Osula at St James’ Park?
Osula’s future is an interesting one. He is edging ever closer to having the all-round capabilities required to start for a Premier League club every week.
However, there are question marks about whether he can bridge the gap to the elite level, which is Newcastle’s aim in the coming years.
At some point, you would expect the £100m+ spent on Wissa and Woltemade to begin to overshadow him as they become more familiar with their surroundings.
That could leave him susceptible to a St James’ Park departure in the near future, especially given how close he was to leaving last summer and his ambition to be the main man at a club.
However, that predicament is balanced by the goals he is scoring. Finding a striker who can score even when they aren’t having the best game is difficult. But, at least in recent matches, Osula has shown that ability.
His endless running, unpredictability, and capacity to produce a moment of magic from nothing make him a player who is almost impossible to let go of — unless for a significant fee.
Just how far Osula can go remains to be seen. But there is no doubt that if he maintains his current form, it will be very difficult to dislodge him from the starting spot.
In other news, What Bruno Guimaraes did in 39th minute shows Newcastle United are so back.
