Newcastle United forward told to leave club after admitting summer transfer 'goal'

The 20-year-old was set to go out on loan from Newcastle United last summer, but a quad injury ultimately blocked any potential move.

After returning from injury, Kuol joined up with Newcastle’s Under-21s side and enjoyed a productive campaign with eight goals in 15 appearances in all competitions.

Kuol joined Newcastle in January 2023 from Central Coast Mariners after representing Australia in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Over two years later, he is still waiting to make his competitive first-team debut for the club having experienced frustrating loan spells at Hearts and Volendam respectively over the previous two seasons.

Although Kuol has progressed well on Tyneside this season, a first-team call-up is unlikely in the final three matches of the season, with 17-year-old Sean Neave currently preferred as the academy attacking option in Eddie Howe’s training squad.

Kuol is contracted at Newcastle until June 2026 and has hinted he could leave the club this summer.

The young forward is keen to return to senior football next season but will see his first-team opportunities limited on Tyneside if he stays.

Speaking to ESPN earlier last month, Kuol said: "The most important thing for me is to be able to play [senior] football... it won't be that easy to jump from the Under-21s at Newcastle to a first-team squad which could be in the Champions League.

"For the summer, I'm not really sure what's going to happen in terms of my next move. But I'd say [senior] football is the ultimate goal."

Both loan and permanent exits will be considered by Newcastle and Kuol in the summer.

Garang Kuol told to leave Newcastle United this summer

It’s been two years since Kuol last played for Australia’s senior national team and 15 months since he last played competitive senior football at club level.

When asked about Kuol, Australia national team head coach Tony Popovic wants to see the young forward back in senior football next season.

“We’re monitoring him,” Popovic said. “We’ve seen some of his games that have been visible recently in the Under-21s. He just needs consistent football.

“The level can sometimes be deceiving, of course. But for any striker, when they’re scoring, they’re confident.

“Hopefully this will help him get a move somewhere where he will then have the challenge of getting into a team where there are points on the line and there’s constant pressure.”

Garang Kuol's ‘rude awakening’ at Newcastle United

Kuol has been looked at in a first-team training environment and in friendly matches by head coach Eddie Howe at Newcastle.

But the form of striker Alexander Isak and the additional attacking options of Callum Wilson, Anthony Gordon and Will Osula mean its tough for any academy players to be seriously considered.

It’s a situation Kuol understands, having trained alongside the first-team last summer.

"I was training with [Isak] in pre season,” Kuol said. “He was just so silky and so comfortable with the ball. And so quick. You can't really get the ball off him. He's just so hard to stop.

"The main thing that every Newcastle first-team player has is the fitness and the physicality, which is what's most important. When us young players train with the EPL side, it's sort of a rude awakening of the physical demands that comes in training.

"Even just a simple positioning drill, you get tired within a minute and it's just the intensity and the work rate you have to apply and train every day."

Your next Newcastle United read: Newcastle United expect to confirm £20m transfer after bombshell UEFA claim