A Newcastle United transfer expert is confident the club will sign Brentford striker Yoane Wissa before the summer transfer window closes.
Wissa is one of the Magpies’ top targets this summer, but they’ve so far been unable to secure a deal due to Brentford’s reported £50million asking price.
The DR Congo international was reportedly informed last year that if he ignored transfer interest, he’d be allowed to leave this summer for £26m — a promise Brentford have failed to honour.
Their reluctance to sell is understandable, especially after losing star player Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United. The Bees have also sold club captain Christian Norgaard to Arsenal and lost long-serving head coach Thomas Frank to Tottenham, signalling a period of major transition in west London.
F365 SAYS: Yoane Wissa deserves our sympathy…but not as much as poor Brentford fans
While Brentford are undergoing change, Newcastle are mired in incompetence and frustration.
The Magpies’ summer transfer window has been nothing short of a disaster. They’ve missed out on several top targets, including Joao Pedro, James Trafford, Hugo Ekitike, and most recently, Benjamin Sesko.
Worse still, star striker Alexander Isak wants to leave and is doing everything he can to secure a move to Premier League champions Liverpool.
The original plan was to sign another striker to play alongside Isak, and Wissa quickly emerged as a serious option after Liverpool hijacked Newcastle’s move for Ekitike.
Talks remain ongoing to bring Wissa to Tyneside, and the striker has now missed several pre-season training sessions — essentially going on strike — to protest Brentford’s broken promise.
This has pushed the Bees to search the market for replacements, and optimism is growing that a deal could be completed before the September 1 deadline.
According to Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope, Wissa to Newcastle ‘WILL happen’.
However, Hope adds that the transfer is dependent on Brentford finding a replacement first, with Bournemouth’s Dango Ouattara among their targets.
It’s added that Wissa — who scored 19 Premier League goals last season — could be signed for around £35m, and confidence is growing that an agreement is within reach.
Should the Bees make progress there (or with any attacking target), expect immediate movement on Wissa to Newcastle.
The 28-year-old wants to sign and has communicated this to those on Tyneside, which is why they have been patient. A player who is desperate to join is a rare commodity for the Magpies this summer.
Wissa scored 19 Premier League goals last season, without taking any penalties, and rarely misses games – Eddie Howe and others are extremely sweet on him and there is a belief he could hit the ground running.
I’m hearing that a package of around £35million should be enough to secure a deal, although Brentford are likely to push for more.
Hope also reports that Newcastle have shortlisted Paris Saint-Germain’s Goncalo Ramos, Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, Wolves’ Jacob Strand Larsen, Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz, RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda, and former Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is currently a free agent.
On Jackson, it’s claimed that Chelsea want £60m and the two Premier League clubs have held ‘informal talks’ about a transfer.
Incredibly, a report from DaveOCKOP claims former West Ham striker Michail Antonio is a player Eddie Howe ‘could’ pursue.
Now a free agent after his Hammers contract expired, Antonio has featured for the club’s Under-21 side during pre-season.
The 35-year-old broke his leg in a serious car crash last December. He hasn’t played a competitive club match since.
And yes, we’re fully aware there’s zero chance he actually joins Newcastle.