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View: Expect World Cup fireworks from Garang Kuol as Newcastle United starlet looks to shine for Australia
Newcastle United moved quickly to secure Garang Kuol’s signature for January, but the Australian will first have his sights set on the World Cup.
The Magpies fought off interest from European powerhouses to secure Kuol – an 18-year-old striker set to join Newcastle United on 1 January when the window opens.
He’s shone in the A-League for Australian outfit Central Coast Mariners, scoring a goal on average every 56.5 minutes. There’s plenty of excitement building around his potential, and his Australian teammate has sung his praises ahead of the World Cup.
Awer Mabil plays alongside Kuol for the Socceroos and has told supporters to “expect excitement” from Kuol when Australia get their World Cup campaign underway. [The Athletic]
“He’s got flair and can change the game just like that; out of nothing. He’s going to be amazing but you can already see what he can do. Newcastle is a great move for him and it’s a great investment for the future,” Mabil added.
A great investment
As suggested by Mabil, Newcastle are very excited about their investment in Kuol. At just 18, he’s putting up astounding numbers in terms of goals and assists.
To expand on his scoring record, he’s registering a goal involvement every 37.6 minutes. If he comes anywhere near those sorts of numbers in the Premier League he’ll immediately be a hit at Newcastle.
Howe will probably want to take his time and settle Kuol into Newcastle before handing him first-team minutes, but a strong World Cup showing would take the choice out of his hands.
He reportedly cost Newcastle just £300,000 [talkSPORT] so it’s a low-risk high-reward approach from Newcastle and new director of football Dan Ashworth.
While the club has a new influx of wealth, they can’t afford to recklessly spend it on world-class stars and so instead Newcastle have invested in youth in an attempt to discover some hidden gems. They certainly believe that Kuol is one of them.
In other Newcastle United news, youngster Elliot Anderson admits he wants to play more in the Premier League