It is time to admit that Will Osula is not going to be a Premier League striker and he has to be sold at the end of the season.
Watching him run aimlessly around the pitch on Saturday evening against Aston Villa, achieving nothing of note, was the final confirmation for me that the experiment has failed.
Across multiple websites offering player ratings, Osula was universally graded as “poor,” scoring just a 4 or 5.
This form has been repeated across his 13 Premier League appearances (ED: For context: 246 minutes played, one start and 12 sub appearances) this season which have returned just one goal, the same return as last season (ED: 124 PL minutes, 0 starts and 14 sub appearances).
The only real highlight of his time at Newcastle has been two goals against Bradford in the third round of this season’s Carabao Cup.
When Newcastle United signed Will Osula, it felt like we were securing a raw but exciting talent who could be developed into a Premier League striker.
There is plenty of evidence that Eddie Howe can improve any player given time, but unfortunately Osula looks like the exception. The potential is there: he has pace, energy, and a willingness to run at defenders. Yet those traits have never translated into consistent output. He struggles to impose himself on matches, often drifting to the periphery. His decision‑making in the final third remains erratic, and the clinical edge required at this level has never materialised.
With Wissa and Woltemade yet to fully convince, Osula has had a chance for games in the centre‑forward position but has not made a strong enough argument for it. His best games have come on the right of a front three — but Newcastle need a striker, not another winger. At this point, he is clearly fourth choice behind Wissa, Woltemade, and Gordon.
Keeping Will Osula for another season would feel less like patience and more like stagnation. A summer sale would benefit all parties: There was interest in him during the January window, let’s hope this resurfaces in the summer and we can avoid a financial loss. Newcastle United need more reliable attacking options and Osula needs a fresh environment where expectations are lower.
After two seasons of unfulfilled promise, the conclusion seems unavoidable, the Will Osula experiment has run its course.