· 14 August 2025, 19:30
While we all sit around calling Alexander Isak all the names under the sun, it's worth remembering that Newcastle United are waiting on the green light to sign a player who is doing the exact same thing to force a move to Tyneside.
Yoane Wissa has essentially gone on strike at Brentford to ensure he gets a move to Newcastle, as the 28-year-old has told Brentford chiefs he feels this could be his last chance to get a move to a Champions League club.
It's not hard to draw comparisons to Alexander Isak, who feels he is good enough to play for a club capable of winning the Champions League and has gone on strike to ensure he gets to do so.
Much like Isak will not play for Newcastle United this weekend, Brentford boss Keith Andrews has revealed that Yoane Wissa will not be part of Brentford's squad as they take on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday.
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Wissa Long Read hero vbrc6r 1
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"I'll just sit this one out, gaffer!"
Keith Andrews will leave Yoane Wissa out of his squad for Sunday's clash against Nottingham Forest
Speaking to reporters (via EPL Index), new Bees boss Andrews said he'd taken the decision to leave Wissa out of the squad.
“I’ve made the decision that he’s not [available for selection]. It’s been a very disruptive pre-season with the interest. The message is clear, I want him in the building, I want him to be part of the first-team squad. I see that moving forward but I’m very understanding of his situation. I have a good relationship with him and that will persist. But we have to focus on the players that are ready to perform on Sunday and Yoane isn’t in that space.”
Brentford are waiting to sign Dango Ouatarra from Bournemouth before they'll sanction Wissa's departure with Bournemouth, similarly waiting to sign a replacement for Ouatarra before they'll let him leave.
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Yoane Wissa will take time to get up to speed if/when he joins Newcastle
Wissa has been training away from the Brentford squad for about as long as Isak has been from Newcastle, which means he'll be lacking match sharpness if/when he does arrive at Newcastle.
It seems that Newcastle are really going to be reaching for centre-forwards for the first few games of the season, with Anthony Gordon likely to play as a makeshift striker while we work on deals for Wissa and potentially another striker.
Our feelings on playing Gordon up front are well known at this point, we dare say, but for clarity, a centre-forward he is not. Will Osula failed to seize his opportunity in pre-season to prove to Eddie Howe he's ready to lead the line, so Gordon may just be our only option, which is tragic.