World Cup winger spotted at Newcastle United training ground ahead of January move

Intrigue was high when the Magpies signed Kuol from A-League side Central Coast Mariners in January 2023. His move to Tyneside was made official just over a month after he represented Australia at the World Cup in Qatar.

However, the 20-year-old’s stock has since fallen following two failed loan spells at Hearts and Dutch side FC Volendam. He was expected to leave on loan again in the summer but injury meant he stayed put.

Kuol is yet to make his competitive debut for Newcastle but did feature on the club’s post-season trip to his Melbourne. The forward came on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur before playing the full 90 as a youthful United were hammered 8-0 by the A-League All Stars.

He linked up with Eddie Howe’s squad for the pre-season training camp at Adidas’ Herzogenaurach in July and was due to travel to Toyko but missed out because of a knee issue. A quad problem then ended loan interest from clubs in Portugal, Belgium and England.

Having made only two appearances for the under-21s this campaign, Kuol has become a forgotten man in the eyes of Toon supporters. But behind the scenes, club staff are still very much working to develop the player.

And on Monday, Kuol was among a few youngsters - including James Huntley and Ellis Stanton - called up to first-team training as Howe prepares his squad for the visit of Brentford tonight.

Newcastle are set to send Kuol out on loan next month before making a decision regarding his longer-term future in the summer. Kuol is understood to be under contract at St James’ Park until 2026.