It’s fair to say this transfer window has fallen well below the high expectations that the fans, the media, and perhaps even Newcastle United themselves had set at the end of the last season.
With our PSR situation improved, money to spend and Champions League football to offer as we came off the back of our most successful season in decades, hopes were high that we could finally flex some financial muscles again.
Instead, it’s been a summer of rejections, especially in the striker department, with moves for Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike all ending in tears.
But there is still hope as we move on to other options, with the latest a Premier League-proven striker who could be an ideal Callum Wilson replacement
According to French outlet L’Equipe, Newcastle are ‘advancing’ in our attempts to sign Brentford forward Yoane Wissa.
Last week, David Ornstein revealed that we are ‘exploring a deal’ for the 28-year-old striker after missing out on Ekitike, with Spurs and Nottingham Forest also keen.
Elsewhere, BBC Sport reported over the weekend that personal terms would not be a problem as the the Congolese star hopes to leave the GTech Community Stadium for European football.
Sky’s Sacha Tavolieri also reports that talks are ‘ongoing’ between Newcastle and Brentford, suggesting we are working on a deal that L’Equipe believe is edging closer.
Despite not being a first choice target for us, few can deny the immense run Wissa has been on over the 2024/25 season, scoring 20 goals in all competitions.
Only Mo Salah scored more non-penalty goals than him last season, not to mention the fact he scored 12 the previous year and can also play wide.
After a strong campaign last season, culminating in a top half finish, Brentford have been well and truly picked apart over the summer.
Thomas Frank is no longer the manager , goalkeeper Mark Flekken has moved to Bayer Leverkusen, captain Christian Norgaard is a surprise new name at Arsenal, and top scorer Bryan Mbeumo has only recently been announced as Man Utd’s new star forward in a deal worth £71m.
So Keith Andrews and the Bees will be wanting to avoid another high-profile exit and hardly need the money.
But contract talks between the club and player are stalling, and this is where we can strike, especially if player power soon comes into the equation.
We may be able to barter down from Brentford’s high valuation of Wissa, and the longer this transfer window goes on, perhaps the more likely it becomes that we simply bite the bullet and pay a big fee for a Premier League-proven forward who can support Alexander Isak next season.
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