Eintracht Frankfurt ‘reach agreement’ to sign Newcastle Utd star in twist which could prevent West Ham move
Niclas Fullkrug is expected to be on the move in January after struggling to hit expectations at West Ham
German Bundesliga heavyweights Eintracht Frankfurt are reported to be closing in on a move to sign Newcastle United youngster William Osula in the January transfer window.
Osula joined the Magpies from Sheffield United in the summer of 2024 for a figure worth somewhere in the region of £10m plus a further £5m in performance related add-ons.
He struggled for regular minutes in his first season due to the presence of Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, featuring just 14 times in the league last term, with his only goal coming in a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Ipswich Town.
His performances in the Under-21 European Championship’s compounded with his impressive cameos in Black and White, earned him big interest from Frankfurt along with Aston Villa on transfer deadline day. However, the Magpies, who allowed both of their forwards to leave, including Wilson, who is now of West Ham, opted to pull the plug on a loan deal with a £30m option to buy amid a chaotic window.
Why William Osula’s exit could be important to West Ham
According to Sky Germany, there is a basic verbal agreement in place between Osula’s representatives and Frankfurt.
The Bundesliga outfit are thought to be in the market for two strikers in January after losing Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool and are thought to have plenty of funds at their disposal. Osula is thought to be their top target while Younes Ebnoutalib of second-tier German outfit SV Elversberg is an alternative under consideration after an excellent start to the campaign.
The outlet understands West Ham’s Nicklas Fullkrug had previously been identified as a target, but recent developments involving both strikers have now pushed him further down the list, meaning he’s not a target at this stage.
Newcastle United are yet to accept an offer for the young Danish striker. And Eddie Howe is yet to comment on the future of the 22-year-old, who is currently nursing an ankle injury. The Magpies have Nick Woltemade leading the line along with the soon-to-be available Yoane Wissa, but may still opt to keep the young forward as a third choice option.
It’s worth noting that the Magpies had offers on the table of around £30m for Osula in the summer. Meanwhile, this report suggests that the figure offered is only 20 million euro (£17.5m) which is significantly less than the amount offered less than six months ago.
What’s gone wrong for Niclas Fullkrug?
When former West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui enticed Fullkrug to the London Stadium it was seen as a real coup for the Hammers. Fullkrug had just scored two goal at the European Championships for Germany as they reached the quarter-final and had won plaudits from Ian Wright for his performances during that tournament.
He’d also scored 15 goals and contributed 10 assists for Borussia Dortmund in 45 appearances during his sole season at Signal Iduna Park after leaving Werder Bremen while notably reaching the Champions League final while being selected to start against Real Madrid in the showpiece event.
Fullkrug had many of the characteristics associated with a Premier League No.9, he was strong, held the ball up well, looked good in the air and seemed to have good movement in the final third. However, it’s simply not worked out due to a combination of factors. Injury is perhaps the biggest, with the 32-year-old missing 20 matches in total due to achilles tendon and hamstring issues in his debut campaign.
He’s so far yet to score this season and has again looked far from convincing in the opportunities he’s had. Overall, the striker, who is yet to register a goal this term, has three strikes in 29 matches, making two assists in the process.
The veteran has fallen down the pecking order at club level to Callum Wilson and also looks to have fallen way down the list of Germany’s striker options in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup. Fullkrug is understood to be pushing for a transfer away from West Ham at the moment, with Hamburg and Augsburg leading the chase based on reports from Football Insider.