Inside story: Why Newcastle’s £30m William Osula transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt broke down

5. 5. Newcastle’s £30m setback as William Osula’s Frankfurt switch collapses — explained

   
   

What Was On the Table

• On the final day of the transfer window, Newcastle United were close to selling young striker William Osula to Eintracht Frankfurt for around £30 million, in a deal that included a loan component with an obligation to buy.  
• Aston Villa were also interested in signing Osula, having supposedly reached an agreement for the deal.  

Why the Deal Collapsed

Several factors combined to cause the collapse:

1. Obligation to Buy Terms
   
• The move to Frankfurt involved a loan with an obligation to buy. However, reports suggest that the fixed terms (loan fee + buy clause) were considered too risky / too high by Frankfurt.  
• Frankfurt later explained that the parameters weren’t right by the deadline: costs, risk, and the overall package weren’t acceptable.  
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3. UEFA Rules / Accounting Constraints
   
• Aston Villa were prevented from completing their bid due to financial/accounting regulations. When Villa sold Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle earlier that window, any subsequent deal involving Osula would have been seen as a “swap” under UEFA / Premier League accounting rules.  
• Those rules would reduce the profit Villa made from Ramsey’s sale if they then bought Osula for a large sum, affecting their financial reports and potentially violating rules that govern club spending / profit & sustainability.  
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5. Late Deadline Pressure and Changing Terms
   
• Deals on deadline day often shift quickly; in Osula’s case, conditions kept altering (fees, clauses). The willingness from both sides was there, but as the day progressed some terms proved unworkable.  
• Newcastle also wanted to retain Osula as backup, especially after signing other strikers, so letting him go carried additional risk.  
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Aftermath & What It Means

• Osula stayed at Newcastle, now further down the pecking order following the club’s purchases of Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade.  
• Eddie Howe (Newcastle’s manager) has said Osula has continued to train hard and show good attitude despite the transfer drama.  
• Frankfurt may revisit signing him in January under better conditions.  

Key Takeaway

Newcastle technically missed out on cashing in ~£30 million this window due to two overlapping issues:

• Frankfurt backed out because the financial package demanded was too steep under the terms on offer.
• UEFA / accounting rules blocked Aston Villa from going ahead with their bid due to earlier business with Newcastle.

So the collapse wasn’t simply about lack of interest — it was down to financial & regulatory constraints, and deal structure disagreements, especially in the high-pressure, tight timing of deadline day.