After links with a whole host of midfielders, from Kees Smit to Conor Gallagher, the latest reports heading into the January transfer window centre around a potential exit.
Will Osula has been receiving serious interest from Germany over the past six months, along with a deadline day bid from Aston Villa, and it sounds like the striker is open to leaving the club next month, as a new report details.
Osula agrees to move?
According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Will Osula has now reached a ‘verbal agreement in principle’ with Frankfurt over a January move.
Plettenberg states that no agreement currently exists between Newcastle and Frankfurt over the terms of any deal, with Toon chiefs in contact with the Champions League side over a potential transfer.
It’s claimed the Bundesliga side are readying a loan-to-buy offer including a €3m loan fee and option to buy the Danish talents for €20m next summer, although it remains to be seen if a deal of this nature would appeal to Newcastle.
The 22-year-old is thought to be ‘keen’ to join Frankfurt, with recent reports from Germany indicating his desire to depart Newcastle for more regular first team minutes.
For me, three things stand out. 1) Newcastle were reluctant to sanction a loan (with option) to buy deal over the summer and you question how that benefits us. 2) An overall package around £20m (€3m +€20m) seems low. And 3) if we were to let him go in January, we’d need a replacement, with only Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa (injured all season) in attack heading into 2026.
Ankle injury a worry?
Osula may be wanting more minutes, but he’s not been available of late thanks to a niggling ankle injury that remains a concern.
Speaking to the media on Monday morning, Eddie Howe said he won’t be fit to feature against Spurs tonight and requires further assessment after continuing to feel pain in his ankle following a period of rest.
“No, he certainly won’t be involved (against Spurs),” Howe said. “We need to have further discussions internally to see quite what’s happening with his ankle because it’s not going in a straight line.
“We’re not quite happy with how he’s feeling so I’ll try and give you some feedback when we get it.”