Newcastle Set to Sign Brentford Forward Yoane Wissa for £55m

Newcastle United have reached an agreement to sign Brentford striker Yoane Wissa in a deal reportedly worth £55 million, just a day after the 28-year-old publicly urged the Bees to honour his wish to leave, Sport360NG reports.

The fee consists of an initial £50m plus £5m in potential add-ons, with the DR Congo international en route to Newcastle to complete the necessary medical and formalities. Newcastle had two earlier offers for Wissa rejected by Brentford this summer.

The transfer follows Liverpool’s record-breaking £125m acquisition of Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. Despite recently signing Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart on a six-year deal, manager Eddie Howe is keen to further bolster his attacking options.

Wissa made his desire to leave Brentford clear in a statement on Sunday, accusing the club of “unduly standing in his way” despite multiple offers from Newcastle. He wrote on Instagram:

“I have stayed silent for much of the summer, but with just hours remaining of the transfer window I feel compelled to make it clear that I want to leave Brentford. I believe the club are unduly standing in my way despite a series of fair offers throughout the summer.”

Negotiations between the clubs resumed on Monday, aiming to finalize the move before the 7:00pm BST transfer deadline.

Brentford have been active in the window, having already sold forward Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United for an initial £65m. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken moved to Bayer Leverkusen for £8m, while midfielder Christian Norgaard joined Arsenal for £15m. Additionally, Brentford recently broke their club record to sign Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth for up to £42.5m.

Meanwhile, Newcastle also pursued Jorgen Strand Larsen, but Wolves remained firm, rejecting offers of £50m and £55m. Wolves, who have struggled at the start of the Premier League season, are set to bring in Genk striker Tolu Arokodare for £24m to support Strand Larsen.

Analysis: Wissa Deal Signals a Change in Newcastle Policy

Newcastle have already set a new club record with the signing of Woltemade, but the arrival of another forward is seen as crucial to sharing the attacking load, particularly for a player who has never competed outside Germany.

The club’s renewed interest in Wissa, despite having two offers previously turned down, highlights a shift in transfer strategy. Newcastle have not typically signed outfield players aged 26 or older in recent years, but an exception appears to have been made for Wissa, who celebrates his 29th birthday this Wednesday.

Wissa, a late bloomer, has seen rapid development since playing in the French second division in 2020. Last season, he scored more non-penalty goals (19) than any other player in the Premier League. His sharpness in the box, consistent fitness, and ability to adapt to different roles make him an appealing addition for Newcastle, whose only double-digit goalscorer last season was Isak.

With Wissa’s move, Newcastle hope to fill the gap left by Isak’s impending departure to Liverpool, ensuring their attack remains competitive for the season ahead.