Newcastle United are interested in signing a 19-goal striker
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After backing out of the race to sign long-term striker target Hugo Ekitike, Newcastle are widely reported to be accelerating their efforts to sign Brentford striker Yoane Wissa this summer.
The Magpies are keen to add competition to their frontline after the departure of Callum Wilson are thought to be keen on signing a prolific finisher that can either play either as an alternative or even as a strike partner to Alexander Isak depending on their opponent.
The St James’ Park club are no longer on thin ice when it comes to PSR as suggested by their ultimately unsuccessful club-record offer of around £70m for Ekitike and it’s suspected that the Magpies are more than willing to compete with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest for the striker’s signature.
Why Newcastle are interested in Yoane Wissa
Yoane Wissa enjoyed a career best season for Brentford last year. He scored 19 goals from 35 league appearances while also contributing an impressive four assists as his team finished the season in 10th place, marking Brentford’s second best top-flight campaign since the end of World War Two.
The 28-year-old finished as the sixth highest scorer in the division behind only Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland, Chris Wood and teammate Bryan Mbeumo but unlike those mentioned was not his side’s penalty taker with 100% of his goals last term coming from open play.
This highlights Wissa’s exceptional movement in the final third and his clinical nature in front of goal. In fact, if goals from open play were only counted, Wissa would be the joint second top scorer behind only Salah.
It’s reported by talkSPORT that Brentford are seeking a figure of around £50m for Wissa after turning down an offer for around half that price by Nottingham Forest in January.
The outlet claims Wissa is ready to push for a move this summer, but adds that negotiations could be complicated by Mbeumo’s proposed move to Manchester United, with the Red Devils having an offer of around £65m accepted for the Cameroonian.
The Bees have already lost their manager Thomas Frank to Tottenham Hotspur, have sold their club captain Christian Norgaard to Arsenal, and are now on the verge of losing their top scorer in Mbeumo to a team that finished five places below them.
It leaves Keith Andrews with a difficult season ahead in his first managerial gig - and he’ll be desperate to keep a hold of his talisman Wissa to avoid being dragged into a potential relegation scrap.
Wissa has just one-year remaining on his deal, with the option of an extension. However, it’s suspected Mbeumo’s sale could inflate his price. Newcastle are likely to push to sign Wissa but talkSPORT understands Tottenham are the favourites both due to their geographical location of being close to home in London - and the fact they are managed by Frank, who has an excellent working relationship with the forward.
The bold Newcastle swap deal they could offer Brentford
Newcastle will need to do something pretty big if they are to get Yoane Wissa this summer. They are determined to build depth in their frontline and have that on both flanks in the form of Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon on the left - and Jacob Murphy along with £55m signing Anthony Elanga on the right.
The Toon have one of the best striker in the world football in Alexander Isak after firmly warning Liverpool he isn’t for sale and they also have a young up and coming talent in William Osula in their ranks.
The Magpies will be keen to not unsettle any of that six due to the importance of all of them moving forward but they could offer the Bees an intriguing swap deal by potentially using Joe Willock as a makeweight in negotiations.
Willock can play both as a central box-to-box playmaker and as a forward in the left-wing area. He’s a terrific athlete blessed with great speed, stamina, technical qualities and the ability to get into the box and score goals.
He signed for Newcastle for just over £20m in 2021 following a successful loan spell from Arsenal which saw him score eight times in 14 matches, including seven in a row in a run which saw him level Alan Shearer’s run of goals in 1996.
Willock had a mixed first full season at Newcastle amid the chaos of Steve Bruce’s exit, Eddie Howe’s arrival and the Saudi takeover - but perhaps played his best football in the 2022/23 season when he helped the Magpies achieve Champions League qualification. He managed three goals and six assists across the season but looked excellent in patches and really seemed to suit Newcastle’s attacking brand of football.
Injuries have since derailed his progress and he’s struggled to get back into the team which has a settled trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton.
While Champions League qualification may offer a fresh chance to get minutes at Newcastle, it is possible that the club could use this as an opportunity to sell the 25-year-old and potentially allow him to get his career back on track with regular opportunities. Therefore, it could be worth Newcastle making an offer of around £30m with Willock included as part of the deal to try and test the waters with Brentford.