Newcastle United waiting on key contract decision as star makes brutally honest admission

Wilson is out of contract at the end of the season and will leave the club as a free agent should an extension fail to be agreed before the end of June. For three years, Wilson was the club’s saviour after arriving from Bournemouth, scoring crucial goals to keep them in the Premier League under Steve Bruce and then Eddie Howe.

He then enjoyed his best season in front of goal during the 2022/23 campaign as he netted 18 goals in 31 matches to help Newcastle United qualify for the Champions League. However, injury problems have limited him to just 36 Premier League appearances over the last two seasons, with 16 of those coming this term.

Wilson, for the first time in his career, is facing the prospect of going a whole top-flight season without registering a single goal with his only strike this season coming against Birmingham City in the FA Cup.

Callum Wilson’s honest admission

Whilst it has been a history making on the pitch, it has been a struggle for Wilson and one that he, as he reflected on ahead of Sunday’s win over Chelsea, describes as ‘one of the worst seasons’ for him as an individual: “As a collective, it’s been one of the best campaigns and best teams that I’ve been a part of - yet individually, it’s been one of my worst seasons,” Wilson wrote in the club’s matchday programme.

“I haven’t scored in the Premier League this season, which for me is unheard of. But I know there’s a goal in there somewhere. You have to be ready to grasp your opportunity when it comes and I am certain that over the next three games, I will have a big part to play.

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“It’s written in the stars for me to put one in the back of the net.”

So what does the future hold for the 33-year-old? A stay on Tyneside is not totally out of the question - it’s certainly something that Howe has hinted at in recent weeks.

“He's very much in my plans going forward,” Howe said on the striker he has worked with at both Newcastle and Bournemouth. “We have games to go and he's a huge part of that. I think he's looked better and better in recent weeks.

“Physically, I see the Callum Wilson of old. He has stayed fit for a long period of time, which has been brilliant to see. I think on his long-term future, let's wait and see how he performs and how he continues to look.”

If Wilson does indeed have just two games left as a Newcastle United player, then he should receive a huge reception from the St James’ Park crowd next Sunday. It’s not completely against the realms of possibility that without him up-front (and Allan Saint-Maximin to the side of him), the Magpies would have been relegated to the Championship and not have enjoyed their remarkable rise under Howe and the new owners.

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