By Martin Graham
Newcastle United has completed the signing of forward Yoane Wissa from Brentford in a deal valued at £55m. The agreement consists of an initial £50m payment, with a further £5m tied to performance-related clauses.
The Congolese international had been the subject of two earlier bids from the Magpies, both turned down by the west London side before this breakthrough. His move comes soon after Newcastle allowed Alexander Isak to join Liverpool for a British record of £125m.
Wissa will now wear the number nine shirt at St James’ Park.
Player’s stance and reaction
The 28-year-old had already made clear his wish to leave Brentford, releasing a statement on Sunday urging the club to let him go. He accused the Bees of failing to honor an understanding and claimed they had been blocking his move to Tyneside. Earlier this summer, he also stripped all links to the club from his Instagram account.
Speaking after his arrival, Wissa expressed his excitement at joining Newcastle: “I’m really happy to be here and to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League. I’ve got dreams, I’ve got faith, and now I will do my best to make it all happen. I can’t wait to get started.”
Howe’s view and squad rebuild
Manager Eddie Howe praised his new striker, saying Newcastle had admired him for a long time. “He brings proven Premier League quality, demonstrated not only by his goalscoring output but also the crucial work he does for the team. Yoane will excite our supporters and complement our style of play – he has pace, power, and an excellent work rate. He immediately makes us stronger.”
Wissa joined Brentford in 2021 and scored 49 goals in 149 appearances for the club, including 19 in the league last season.
He becomes the second striker recruited by Newcastle in recent days, after Nick Woltemade’s arrival from Stuttgart on a six-year contract. Wissa is also the sixth senior addition of the summer, following Woltemade, Aaron Ramsdale, Anthony Elanga, Jacob Ramsey, and Malick Thiaw.