Newcastle United are actively looking to sell Yoane Wissa less than a year after forking out £55 million to sign him from Brentford. Wissa, 29, arrived at St James' Park on transfer deadline day in September and formed part of Newcastle's plan to replace star striker Alexander Isak, alongside fellow big-money signing Nick Woltemade.
Struggles at St James' Park
Although Isak's transfer saga was more high-profile, Wissa had threatened to go on strike at Brentford, having left their pre-season training camp early. The DR Congo international eventually got his move to Newcastle, who handed him their famous No.9 shirt, but it hasn't worked out for either party so far.
Injured until December, Wissa has only scored three goals for Newcastle—a far cry from the 20 he bagged during his final season at Brentford. The 29-year-old has fallen behind both Woltemade and William Osula in the pecking order under Eddie Howe, starting just one of their last 16 games.
Financial Implications
The Athletic reports that although Wissa wants to stay at Newcastle, club chiefs are ready to cut their losses. Any sale would see 25 per cent of the fee go to Brentford via a sell-on clause, further reducing Newcastle's potential return on their investment.
Wissa will hope to change Newcastle's stance during their final four games of the season, with Howe's side languishing 14th in the Premier League table. The striker turned down the chance to play for his country at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this season so that he could prioritise being fit for the second half of the campaign.
Manager's Comments
But Wissa has continued to struggle, with his manager recently saying: "The most difficult part for Yoane is that he got back fit, there was a huge feeling inside of him that he wanted to rush back and show everybody how good he is, but we haven't been able to train him in the way we normally would. It was very stop-start and we didn't see the best of him. We probably have in training this week. There's so much more to come. I think a pre-season would really show the best of him."
Howe added: "He's been trying, he's been attempting to make the difference but the time he has had on the pitch. I think the best is yet to come."
Future Outlook
Newcastle fans will be curious to know what Wissa's departure would mean for Woltemade, who has also been tipped to leave this summer. The German was signed in a deal worth up to £69m amid interest from Bayern Munich. With Newcastle potentially offloading both strikers, the club may need to reinvest in attacking reinforcements during the upcoming transfer window.
