Competition for places in the current Newcastle United squad is perhaps the fiercest it has ever been.

When you consider the depth and quality we boast in defence, midfield and particularly up top when everyone is fit, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if some players itching for minutes began to show some signs of frustration that they can’t break into Howe’s starting XI.

We’ve seen it rumoured with the likes of Lewis Miley in the past, where some players have had to settle for cup football and substitute cameos, although it’s a tricky balancing act for the boss to keep everyone happy.

On that note, reports in Germany claim that another young Mag is frustrated at his lack of starts and may push for a move soon…

Osula eyeing early exit?

According to the German outlet BILD, Will Osula is seeking a move to Eintracht Frankfurt in the January transfer window.

Frankfurt almost signed the young Dane on deadline day this past summer, before the PIF pulled the plug at the eleventh hour after we couldn’t come to terms over a permanent move, and the Germans suddenly wanted a loan deal with an obligation to buy instead.

But the former Europa League winners’ interest has remained all this time, alongside fellow Bundesliga sides Bayer Leverkusen and VFB Stuttgart, who have both been linked with signing Osula in recent months.

BILD claims that Osula would like the move to Germany and ‘wants to leave’ Newcastle soon, with game time thought to be a priority as he currently finds himself third in the pecking order on Tyneside, behind Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.

Newcastle reluctant to sell

Just a few weeks ago, Eddie Howe talked up his relief at Osula staying at the club, hailing his development and importance to the squad given the busy schedule ahead of us.

Not only that, it wasn’t long ago that Craig Hope insisted that any prospect of a January move had been ruled out internally – but could that change if the man himself pushed to leave for first-team opportunities elsewhere?

Squad depth will be imperative to any success we have this season, and there’s very few affordable options available on the market who match Osula for age and quality. It would be very unwise for us to sell unless a significant transfer offer does come in.

So, it may depend on three factors in January. 1) How much will he push to leave? 2) How much will be offered? 3) Will a suitable replacement become available, as Wissa’s recent fitness suggests we can’t go into 2026 with just him and Woltemade.