Newcastle United were forced to pay £10million more than expected to seal the signing of Yoane Wissa from Brentford in what has been described as a “crazy” piece of deadline-day business.
The 29-year-old striker finally completed his move to St James’ Park on 1 September in a deal worth around £55million, penning a four-year contract. His arrival came just days after Alexander Isak’s blockbuster £125m switch to Liverpool left Eddie Howe’s side scrambling for a replacement.
Yoane Wissa had been pushing for the move throughout the summer and even went on strike at Brentford last month after an initial approach from Newcastle was blocked. Having scored 20 goals and provided five assists in 39 appearances last season, he leaves West London as one of the Bees’ standout performers of the Premier League era.
Newcastle forced to overpay
Former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, described the fee as steep but inevitable given the circumstances.
“I think he had one-plus-one, so effectively two years left on his contract. But he’s just turned 29, so I think £55million is an amazing price to pay at that age,” Borson said.
“Once you get to the end of the window, there’s nowhere to go. Newcastle had already sold Isak, they needed a striker, and Brentford knew they had money in the bank. Matthew Benham [Brentford’s owner] is a very shrewd operator, and I think Newcastle lost the poker game here.
“They paid at least £10million over the odds. But the alternative was going into the first half of the season with no striker, which would have been disastrous, especially with six Champions League games before January. They had no choice but to pay up.”
Borson also questioned whether Wissa will be match-fit immediately, having sat out Brentford’s recent fixtures amid the transfer saga: “It’s a very surprising deal, but you can understand the circumstances. Newcastle had to get somebody in, or their season could have been toast.”
Yoane Wissa and Woltemade set for debuts
Yoane Wissa was one of two attacking reinforcements brought in late in the window. German forward Nick Woltemade, signed from Stuttgart in a club-record £69m move, also joined the Magpies. Both players are expected to make their debuts against Wolves on 13 September once the international break concludes.
Howe now has a refreshed forward line to work with, though expectations will be high given the combined outlay of over £120m to replace Isak.
Wolves battle to keep Newcastle target
Newcastle’s striking search also saw them test Wolves’ resolve with a £55m bid for Jørgen Strand Larsen before the window shut. That offer was rejected, and Wolves are now preparing to reward the 25-year-old with a lucrative new contract to ward off further interest.
Since joining from Celta Vigo last summer, Larsen has impressed under Vítor Pereira, registering 16 goals and five assists in 41 appearances.
For Newcastle, though, attention will be firmly on Wissa and Woltemade. The pressure is on Howe’s new-look frontline to deliver immediately as the Magpies juggle domestic ambitions with a return to the Champions League.
