Newcastle United transfer truth as Will Osula ‘in talks’ with Champions League side
Jordan Cronin
2 – 3 minutes
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There’s a reason why the transfer window is often referred to as ‘silly season’.
Scrolling my X (it still feels weird not calling it Twitter) timeline on Tuesday, I – like plenty of other Newcastle United fans – came across a post from @TransferFeed which reported the rumour that Austrian side SK Sturm Graz are “negotiating a loan deal” for Will Osula.
Clicking with interest, the website gave a rather informative summary.
“This move aims to fill the gap left by Mika Biereth’s transfer to Monaco.” OK, fair enough.
“Osula, who transferred to Newcastle United from Sheffield United in the summer of 2024 for approximately 11.60 million euros, has only had limited playing time. He scored his debut goal for Newcastle in the FA Cup.” Yeah, that’s true.
“Including a purchase option in the deal might prove difficult due to Newcastle’s currently limited forward line, particularly with Callum Wilson out injured.” And there you have… the last four words explain why there is little chance of Osula going anywhere this month.
Now, where this story has emerged from, I’ll be honest, I don’t know. I thought I’d cracked it when I saw an article on the website of Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung but they, like me, are addressing a rumour where the original source is unknown.
So, maybe I’m just talking to myself here when I say Osula is staying put.
Despite being limited to just 12 appearances and two starts, the 21-year-old has made great progress behind the scenes. Indeed, it was only a couple of weeks ago when head coach Eddie Howe praised Osula’s development.
Perhaps for outsiders, Osula’s game time can be used as an argument to send him out on loan but considering Wilson’s injury troubles, it is not a risk Howe needs or is willing to take.
