Newcastle United transfer U-turn as 20-year-old forward invited to training ground & St James' Park

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Newcastle United are yet to make a decision on Garang Kuol’s future after previously sanctioning a loan exit in the summer.

Kuol was set to leave Newcastle for a third loan spell since his arrival but a knee injury picked up in pre-season ultimately ruled out a potential exit at the start of the season. The forward was then kept out of action for an extended period but has since returned to action with Newcastle Under-21s.

The 20-year-old has scored two goals in two games for The Young Magpies so far in 2025 and admits he is happy training and playing football on Tyneside. Kuol has also been invited to train with the first team on several occasions this season, allowing head coach Eddie Howe to take a closer look.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He has also attended first-team matches at St James’ Park but is yet to make his home debut for the club.

While there was a clear message from the club to get Kuol out on loan last summer, the situation is more relaxed now we’re into January.

When asked about Kuol’s next step, Howe told The Gazette: “That will depend on physical things and how Garang is. I know he's working really hard and we've seen him a few times when we've involved the [Under-21s] in our training.

“He's a great lad who wants to do well and is very ambitious so let's see what's next for him.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Garang Kuol in action for Newcastle United. Garang Kuol in action for Newcastle United.
Garang Kuol in action for Newcastle United. | AFP via Getty Images

While a loan exit remains a possibility for Kuol this month, Newcastle Under-21s lead coach Diarmuid O'Carroll told The Gazette that the Australian wouldn’t be sent out as a ‘token gesture’ - it would have to be a loan that caters to the player’s needs.

“Yeah, potentially [he will stay],” O’Carroll said. “No decisions are made. Obviously, everything can change in the last week in the window. But I think from our point of view, we're perfectly comfortable with him being in the building.

“If someone was to come and there's an attractive option, again we would sit down as a team in terms of Jack [Ross] and everybody and we weigh it up.

“We don't want to send someone for a token gesture because it looks good to send them on loan. We want from now on every loan to be tailored to the needs of the player.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Newcastle have already sent Alex Murphy, Cathal Heffernan and Travis Hernes out on loan from the Under-21s squad. Meanwhile, Kuol has continued to progress on Tyneside since returning to fitness with O’Carroll hinting a summer move is more likely for the winger.

“He's getting better every game,” O’Carroll added after Kuol’s goal and assist in the 4-2 win against Gateshead in the National League Cup on Tuesday. “I think that's the hardest he's worked. It's the fittest he's shown. He didn't cramp up.

“He looked good, looked strong. He's a fantastic specimen as an athlete. It's just getting him the run of games to build that up because you can't ever replicate what they get from the game.

“No disrespect to PL2, sometimes the games aren't as high-tempo as what we saw [against Gateshead]. So a test like this will be good for him. But again, we're not placing too much expectation on him.

“I want him to have a really good second half of the season and then we'll see where he goes in the summer.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1849
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice