Newcastle United’s season is at a critical point.
Injuries have dampened spirits ahead of the Carabao Cup final next week. Lewis Hall appears to be out for the rest of the season, and Sven Botman is injured again, joining Jamal Lascelles, who hasn’t played this season. Anthony Gordon is also suspended after a red card in the FA Cup loss to Brighton.
However, there’s still optimism. Eddie Howe’s team has reached their second final in three years and has a good chance to win the trophy. Liverpool may be tired after a tough Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
Recent fitness concerns about Alexander Isak are worrying, but fears have eased after he was substituted against Brighton as a precaution.
He should be ready to play against Liverpool. This is important because Callum Wilson has been inconsistent and may be nearing the end of his time with Newcastle.
Callum Wilson’s Future at Newcastle
Wilson has been a valuable player for Newcastle, joining from Bournemouth for £20m in 2020 and scoring 49 goals in 118 games, with 11 assists.
Once a prolific scorer in Europe, Wilson is approaching the end of his Newcastle contract, and it seems Howe might be considering letting him go due to his reduced impact this season.
At 33 years old, a parting of ways might be best for both sides.
Reports indicated in February that Newcastle could extend Wilson’s contract for another year, but his injury problems and decreased scoring ability might make this unwise.
| Callum Wilson – Newcastle Stats by Season (PL) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Apps (starts) | Goals | Assists |
| 24/25 | 7 (1) | 0 | 0 |
| 23/24 | 20 (9) | 9 | 1 |
| 22/23 | 31 (21) | 18 | 5 |
| 21/22 | 18 (16) | 8 | 0 |
| 20/21 | 26 (23) | 12 | 5 |
| Stats via Transfermarkt | |||
There is hope that 21-year-old William Osula, signed from Sheffield United for £15m last summer, will improve after a slow start. However, Howe might already have a homegrown forward who could perfectly replace Wilson.
Newcastle Teenager Who Could Replace Wilson
Newcastle needs to strengthen their squad this summer to compete on multiple fronts, including potentially in Europe.
Osula, who has made ten substitute appearances in the Premier League this season and hasn’t even had a shot, averaging just 2.4 touches per game, may not be ready to be Isak’s primary backup.
However, Ben Parkinson might have the potential to step up.
Parkinson, 19, has already played for Newcastle’s first team and has consistently scored for the youth teams, with 27 goals and seven assists in 73 matches at U18 and U21 levels. He has stated, “I love scoring goals.”
He is versatile in attack but has been most effective as the U21s centre-forward this season, scoring eight goals in 13 games and providing one assist.
Although injured since January, Parkinson is expected to return soon and hopes to make a few senior appearances before the end of the season.
A journalist highlighted Parkinson as a standout player in an U21 game in December, alongside Botman during his injury recovery.
All signs suggest Parkinson could become a significant player. With his scoring record, Howe might find a new, prolific version of Wilson in him to excite the Newcastle fans.
Vihaan Mehrotra