William Osula is close to getting back to the player that stunned backroom staff with stats that were off the scale at Newcastle

Newcastle United turned down all enquiries for William Osula this summer - knowing that he had been primed to be the club's focal point for the 2026/27 season.

Regardless of whether Eddie Howe had stayed, the plan from the club's performance and sporting backroom team was to utilise Osula's attributes to full effect. Osula's stats behind the scenes are believed to be off the scale with his pace and acceleration, as demonstrated at the end of last season and the start of the current campaign, a massive weapon for Newcastle this season.

It all looked like it was going swimmingly in the opening game of the season as he split the Liverpool defence to assist Anthony Elanga in the 2-2 draw. But during that afternoon, Osula hobbled off injured and would not be seen again in action until the last throes of the heavy defeat at Coventry.

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For a few seconds, we got a glimpse of Osula doing what he does best as he made a powerful run down the right-hand flank against Aston Villa, only to be dispossessed. That can be deemed a lack of sharpness in many ways, but memories of his wonder goal against Man United are still fresh for some.

That night, he was allowed to unleash his imagination on the Red Devils' defence with a couple of stepovers, a devastating cut inside and a wonderful curling finish to beat Man United 2-1. It was a demonstration of what Osula is all about, and as Matthias Jaissle states, he is coming back to fitness 'slowly but surely'.

If Newcastle can get him up and running in the crunch winter months, it could be another golden spell for the man who grabbed five goals in the last seven matches of last season. Before the season started in earnest, I sat down with Osula at the club's media centre to chat about the campaign ahead.

He'd only just turned 23 a few days before, and like any youngster, there are still areas of his game to develop. But the frightening thing is, Osula is nowhere near his peak years, and when he realises his full capabilities, he could be a devastating talent for the Magpies.

Osula almost left Newcastle when Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt bid for his services last year but a deal could not be struck. Osula has only ever been focused on being a hit on Tyneside and told Chronicle Live earlier in the season: "I have always been focused on where I am, in Newcastle. I'm here, and your focus has to remain here. That's how it will continue to be for me."

With Osula fit again and now chipping away at match minutes to get back to full strength, it really is up to him now. The 6ft 4in star got handed the No 10 shirt by Howe before he left, and given that the season is yet young for Newcastle, the Denmark star will be itching to inflict further damage on Premier League defences.

His approach this season is simple with Osula admitting in August: "You have to do that (earn trust), and then when you get the opportunity, you have to take it, I tried to do that every single game. You look to provide and do your best on the pitch."

Under Jaissle and his backroom team, he will get that trust, and with Newcastle desperate for a cutting edge, they'll look to him to deliver over the next couple of months. For now, it is just about ensuring he is fit and raring to go.

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