Newcastle United are barking up the wrong tree if they seriously think they can sign Ollie Watkins this summer.
Newcastle have been linked with Watkins, who scored 16 Premier League goals for Aston Villa last season.
While Newcastle do need a new striker following the departure of Callum Wilson, Watkins is simply too high of a profile to come in and back up Alexander Isak.
Isak is one of the best forwards in the world and is certain to start when fit.
While Watkins would no doubt be a dream addition to the Newcastle United squad, it feels incredibly unlikely he will give up a starting berth at Villa to play understudy to Isak.
Instead, Brentford’s Yoane Wissa looks a much better alternative.
Yoane Wissa celebrates with Bryan Mbeumo after scoring for Brentford in the Premier League.
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Why Yoane Wissa is a better signing for Newcastle United than Ollie Watkins
Wissa has also been linked with Newcastle and looks a much more viable addition to Eddie Howe’s ranks.
While the 28-year-old was one of the best forwards in the Premier League last season, he doesn’t have the same kind of profile as Watkins and may not realistically expect to start ahead of Isak.
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Wissa is also able to operate on the wing, which would add a further boost to the squad.
He’d be leaving Brentford for a Champions League club. Watkins surely fancies his chances at getting back to that stage at Villa, where he regularly starts anyway. With a World Cup next year, Watkins will be keen to get as much first-team football as possible.
Newcastle have discussed signing Wissa internally. The DR Congo star is understood to have plenty of admirers from within St James’ Park and surely wouldn’t cost as much as Watkins.
Clearly, Brentford wouldn’t be selling cheaply but he does have two years on his contract remaining. Player trading is a huge part of the game and selling a 28-year-old at the optimum time would seem a wise financial decision.
Yoane Wissa compared to Ollie Watkins
Wissa actually scored more goals than Watkins during the 2024/25 campaign. He largely played as a striker, though did make an appearance as an attacking midfielder too.
Watkins provided more assists but Wissa beat him in some other key attacking metrics listed below.
2024/25 Premier League statistics Yoane Wissa Ollie Watkins
Games 35 36
Goals 19 16
Assists 4 8
Shots/90 2.6 2.2
Key passes/90 0.8 0.7
Dribbles/90 0.4 0.3
Tackles/90 0.6 0.3
Yoane Wissa compared to Ollie Watkins, data via WhoScored
He produced more shots, key passes and dribbles per game, as well as more tackles and as many interceptions over the same period.
Wissa is slightly younger too, although there’s not much in it.
The Brentford star simply looks a more realistic signing than Watkins, while providing many of the same qualities.