Newcastle United agree £55m deal to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford | OneFootball

Newcastle United have agreed a £55 million deal to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford (h/t journalist Fabrizio Romano).

The agreement ends a tense saga that culminated with the forward publicly demanding a move just 24 hours earlier.

Wissa will travel to Tyneside today for a medical ahead of signing before the 7.00 pm transfer deadline.

The 28-year-old is set to become Newcastle’s second attacking addition in a week after the arrival of Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart.

Manager Eddie Howe had pushed hard for a second forward following the record-breaking £130 million sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool.

Wissa had made clear his frustration with Brentford in a social media post on Sunday.

He accused the club of ‘standing in his way’ after rejecting Newcastle’s earlier bids of up to £40m.

The player insisted he wanted the chance to compete at Champions League level and urged Brentford to keep their word.

Talks were revived on Monday, and Newcastle increased their offer to a package worth £55m, which Brentford accepted.

Wissa now follows Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard and Mark Flekken out of the club in a summer of upheaval for the Bees.

Brentford have reinvested in their squad, notably breaking their transfer record to sign Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth for £42.5m.

For Newcastle, the deal represents a rare shift in recruitment strategy.

The Magpies have not signed an outfield player aged over 26 since their Saudi Arabian-backed takeover, but have made an exception for Wissa, who turns 29 this week.

The forward is regarded as a late bloomer, having played in France’s second tier as recently as 2020.

He has since become one of the Premier League’s most dangerous forwards.

Wissa’s fitness record and adaptability have also made him a key target for Howe, who needed a proven scorer to ease the burden on Woltemade.

Callum Wilson’s departure earlier this summer left Newcastle short of experienced options in attack.

Wissa is now expected to slot straight into the front line as the Magpies prepare for a season balancing domestic and European football.

If the deal is finalised today, Wissa will complete a rapid rise from Ligue 2 striker to Champions League player in just five years.