Newcastle United consider January sale of £15m man amid Bundesliga interest

Newcastle United’s planning for the January transfer window will be ramped up after the appointment of new sporting director Ross Wilson was confirmed on Saturday.

The former Rangers and Nottingham Forest man has now officially taken up an integral role at St James Park after the Magpies triggered a release clause in his contract at the City Ground. One of the main priorities for Wilson will be to help United build on what increasingly looks to have been a positive summer transfer window as the likes of Nick Woltemade and Malick Thiaw impressed during the early months of their time on Tyneside.

There will also be consideration given to allowing some members of Eddie Howe’s senior squad to depart - and a recent report has now claimed United will consider the departure of versatile forward Will Osula after he was linked with a move away from St James Park in the final hours of the summer transfer window.

There was some surprise when Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt made a late bid to land the former Sheffield United forward on the final day of the summer transfer window and there were some claims Newcastle had received an offer of around £30 million for the 22-year-old. Osula remained on Tyneside when the deadline passed and has shown flashes of why he retains the belief of the United coaching staff after impressing with a two-goal display in the Carabao Cup win against Bradford City and as a substitute in the Champions League win at Union Saint-Gilloise.

However, with club record signing Woltemade impressing and fellow summer signing Yoane Wissa expected to return to contention in late November, there have been reports suggesting the Magpies will consider allowing Osula to leave the club during the January transfer window should Frankfurt revisit their attempts to land the Denmark Under-21 star.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider: “Right now Newcastle need him [Osula] because Yoane Wissa is out injured, the other summer signing that they brought in. A lot will depend on the fitness of Wissa and what Newcastle decide to do with Willy Osula if Wissa comes back fit. They’ll have Wissa, Woltemade and also Anthony Gordon [who] can play in a striking role as well.

“If all those three players are fit and available around January, then maybe Newcastle could consider letting the player [Osula] leave in January. But right now he’s needed for Eddie Howe’s side and, to be fair to the player, he’s got his head down and is contributing to the team. But there’s no doubt that the interest from Eintracht Frankfurt is still there and I think there’ll be other clubs who will also be looking at Osula in January.”

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