Will Osula - An outlandish suggestion or could I be onto something?

So far this season, Eddie Howe has displayed a clear reluctance to give new striker Will Osula many minutes, and it’s somewhat understandable.

It’s pretty clear he was intended to be more of a developmental signing, functioning as a third-choice, somewhat emergency striker for the time being. Given Wilson’s eternal relationship with the treatment table, Osula has had to serve as Isak’s secondary, only tending to come on either in the final minutes or if we have a very solid lead.

The Dane comes to Newcastle with a considerably poor goal record, unable to score a single Premier League goal in 21 appearances for Sheffield United last season.

In his brief appearances for Newcastle, however, he has shown impressive work rate and desire, with his pace and strength being his standout qualities. This certainly draws some similarities to another Newcastle United signing, who remains in the team to this day.

Joelinton’s goalscoring record was also less than outstanding when he joined the club, and that record continued after he was signed. He displayed a clear lack of composure and confidence in front of goal, and those with short memories may have easily forgotten how frustrating he was to watch in his early seasons at the club.

Few would have predicted that a switch to midfield was the solution to his woes. However, even in his worst form, it was clear to see that there was some untapped potential in the Brazilian.

Similarities between our bleach-haired big men

Even before their new shared blonde haircut, the physical similarities between Osula and Joelinton were clear to see. Both display raw power and pace, qualities that few with a similar frame share. They both have a stocky build that defenders struggle to budge, as well as the aggression needed to best utilize their frames.

Of course, Joelinton has a number of abilities that are incredibly unique to him and incredibly difficult to replicate. His ability to bully an opposing midfield physically and mentally, somehow without picking up numerous red cards in the process, is something very few others process. He has become hated amongst opposition fans, which has only led to our own supporters worshipping him even more. Although Joelinton is the crown jewel of our style of aggression and gamesmanship, it’s clearly something Eddie Howe encourages when coaching the entire side.

Joelinton has presented himself as arguably our hardest profile of player to replace, with no notable like-for-like comparisons to his unique role and play style.

His physical presence has proven essential to our midfield, and we may perhaps have unintentionally found a backup that matches up in a lot of key areas.

It may be a daft and outlandish suggestion, with Joelinton’s successful positional transition being very rare in the modern game, but the similarities between him and Osula are undeniable, and it'll be interesting to see what we do with the Dane if he struggles for goals when given the chance.

Should we fill our gaps in the striker department, which should be near the top of the priority list, it might be an interesting shot in the dark to see Osula trialled in a similar role to his predecessor.