There’s just over 24 hours left of the summer transfer window, it’s still uncertain whether or not Yoane Wissa will become a Newcastle United player.
Weeks ago, it looked like a transfer that was all but waiting to be confirmed, as the Congolese star was entering the final year of his contract, and we were willing to pay Brentford around £30m-plus.
However, the Bees have done a complete 180: having lost Bryan Mbeumo, they’re unwilling to let Wissa go, despite handing him zero minutes so far this season.
And with Wissa now publicly open about wanting a move away from West London, it coincides with a fresh bid from us…
According to TalkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs, Newcastle submitted a new verbal offer to Brentford to sign Yoane Wissa earlier this week, which Keith Andrews’ side are yet to respond to.
Understood to be worth £40m plus £5m in bonuses, this still falls well below the reported £60-65m valuation that Brentford have now attached to the want-away Wissa.
Jacobs comments that “Brentford delayed responding as they sought another striker”, which seems to be the key sticking points here. They won’t let him go without a replacement.
It’s understandable that Brentford, much like us with Isak, don’t want to be left short after selling their top star, especially when a place in the league could be at stake if they are sucked into a relegation battle.
Without comparing our Brentford’s refusal to sell Wissa with our own hesitation to see Isak depart for Liverpool, Brentford could be in trouble if they don’t manage to find a working solution by midnight on Monday.
Wissa claims to have it in writing that there is a gentleman’s agreement between he and the club to not stand in the way of any sale. And if that move is blocked, it’s tough to see a route back, much like Isak’s refusal to reintegrate at Newcastle.
So the next 24 hours of action in the transfer market does seem to hinge on what Brentford want to do: selling Wissa to us could facilitate a departure for Isak, but we won’t likely submit a much higher bid closer to what they’re asking for.