Newcastle United have already signed £10m 'massive player' & Eddie Howe is ready to unleash him

The 21-year-old was handed only his third start for Newcastle since his £10million summer move from Sheffield United. Having scored in his last start in the FA Cup third round against Bromley, there was plenty of excitement around Osula’s return to the side.

But with Callum Wilson in the starting line-up following an injury, Osula moved out to the right-wing for the match at St Andrew’s. Head coach Eddie Howe had hinted Osula was a potential option in that position after The Magpies sold Miguel Almiron to Atlanta United last month.

Without a natural alternative to Jacob Murphy on the right, the Newcastle boss was forced to find some answers from within. And on Saturday that answer came in the form of Osula.

His pace, power and enthusiasm are all strong traits for a winger and an FA Cup match against League One opposition provided an ideal trial run for the 21-year-old in the role.

And he didn’t disappoint.

After going behind early on, Newcastle were in need of a spark to get them back into the game. That spark was provided by Osula, who grabbed two assists in five minutes to turn things around for United.

His first assist was a composed pull-back for Joe Willock to convert, according to the linesman anyway. His second should have been his goal but he somehow managed to kick the ball off his own leg to inadvertently set up Callum Wilson to make it 2-1.

Given his physical profile and questionable composure inside the box, there are shades of Joelinton and an early Shola Ameobi in the way Osula conducts himself on the pitch - and that’s not a bad thing.

He’s raw, chaotic and exciting, which is sometimes exactly what a team needs. Barring an injury crisis, he won’t start too many games between now and the end of the season, but his recent showings and evident improvement in limited minutes this season are tailor-made for him to be a useful impact substitute.

“I definitely agree with that,” Howe said on Osula’s impact at Birmingham. “I thought he was an outlet for us, his pace and strength and directness was key for us in that first half and us finding our way back into the game.

“He's still got some areas of his game that needs development, but he's certainly moving in the right direction and he's unlucky not to score, I think.”

What is Will Osula’s best position?

Osula was signed as a forward for Newcastle and a backup option to Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson. He later moved into the central striker position on Saturday following Wilson’s withdrawal but his threat in the match waned with less space to manoeuvre.

Realistically, Osula isn’t going to displace arguably the best striker in world football this season or even Callum Wilson should he stay fit - but there are potential opportunities for him out wide.

Despite Osula playing just 44 minutes of Premier League football so far this season, Howe has hinted that the young Dane is ‘very, very close’ to getting into his starting line-up.

“I think he's a versatile player, I think he can play any of the front three positions,” Howe said. “I think anything that showcases his pace, I think that's his best asset.

“You saw that today with his direct running, he's got goals in him, I think he's a natural goalscorer, there's a few rough edges that we need to improve, keep working and developing, but he's a massive player for us now, he's very, very close to playing, with the squad size that we have, he's a valuable squad player, he's also got a great attitude, he's committed to his work, he's training every day to improve, delighted that he's got some reward.”