Forget Osula: Newcastle's 19-year-old starlet can spell the end for Wilson

Newcastle United’s campaign hangs in the balance.

Injuries have soured the mood in the build-up to next week’s Carabao Cup final. Lewis Hall looks to be out for the campaign, while Sven Botman has returned to the medical room once again, joining fellow centre-back Jamal Lascelles, who hasn’t featured at all this season. Anthony Gordon is also suspended after being shown a red card in the FA Cup defeat against Brighton.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. Eddie Howe’s side have made their second final in three years and stand a great chance of lifting the trophy, with Liverpool sure to be fatigued after a potentially gruelling second-leg Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening.

Alexander Isak’s recent fitness worries present a concern, but fears have been allayed after the free-scoring sensation was withdrawn against the Seagulls.

He should be ready to take on the Reds. And let’s hope so too, with Callum Wilson flattering to deceive as he ostensibly approaches the final stretch of his Magpies journey.

Callum Wilson’s future at Newcastle

Wilson has been a fantastic servant for Newcastle, joining from Howe’s Bournemouth for £20m in 2020 and scoring 49 goals across just 118 appearances, adding 11 assists.

Once among the most prolific finishers in Europe, Wilson is nearing the end of his Newcastle contract and it looks like Howe might be gearing up to part ways, with his impact negligible this season.

33 years old, it makes sense for the parties to separate.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh confirmed in February that Newcastle have the option to extend Wilson’s deal by an extra year, but given his injury issues and loss of potency in front of goal, this may not be the wisest decision.

There remains hope 21-year-old William Osula, signed from Sheffield United for £15m last summer, will come good after a slow start, but Howe may actually find a homegrown forward who could be the perfect Wilson replacement.

The Newcastle teen who could replace Wilson

Newcastle need to strengthen this summer, putting Howe’s squad in an even better position, ready to attack multiple fronts – one of which will hopefully be among Europe’s elite.

Osula, who has made ten substitute appearances in the Premier League this season and startlingly hasn’t even taken a single shot, averaging 2.4 touches per game, as per Sofascore, has now proven himself worthy to be Isak’s understudy.

However, Ben Parkinson might have the minerals to do a job.

Parkinson, 19, has already featured once for Newcastle’s first team and has provided a consistent striking outlet for the youth side, posting 27 goals and seven assists from 73 matches across U18 and U21 levels. He’s said it himself: “I love scoring goals.”

He’s positionally fluid and ambipedal, though has enjoyed his most potent success this term as the U21s centre-forward, firing home eight goals from 13 matches, providing one assist too.

Though he’s been absent since January with an injury, Parkinson is slated for an imminent return and will be looking to make an appearance or two among the seniors before the campaign reaches its conclusion.

Correspondent Jordan Cronin hailed the teenager as one of the “standouts” during an U21 victory back in December, alongside Botman as the Dutchman hit the final strides of his rehabilitation.

All the pointers suggest he may be a real star down the line, and with such a promising strike record, Howe might just find a prolific new version of Wilson to galvanise the Toon fanbase.

Related

A bigger mistake than Minteh: Newcastle must rue selling “expensive” star

Newcastle United have a whole host of sales they now must regret signing off on.