Newcastle had been tracking William Osula for three years before they signed him from Sheffield United this summer.
If there were any doubts which prevented a deal for him being done sooner than that then perhaps they were justified.
A £15m fee with £5m in add-ons might be chicken feed for a forward in today’s market, but Newcastle fans would have expected a little more from the Denmark international on his full debut.
Up against League Two opposition in the form of AFC Wimbledon the 21-year-old failed to make any real impact on the game at St james’ Park.
When chances his did come Osula’s way he was too slow to make decision, struggled with his first touch or was let down by poor finishing.
Based on this showing Osula still has some way to go to become a first-term regular for Newcastle.
Don’t expect Eddie Howe to call upon in the Premier League any time soon.