Newcastle United transfer policy takes dramatic shift – Pragmatic approach now taken | OneFootball

A dramatic shift in the Newcastle United transfer policy.

An interesting development with the new Premier League season kicking off in just over three weeks time.

Eddie Howe has been looking to add another striker to his squad.

With Callum Wilson leaving, United have only Alexander Isak and the raw and inexperienced Will Osula as out and out centre-forward options.

Bids for both Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike having been turned down.

Now on Tuesday, David Ornstein of The Athletic revealing (see below) that Eddie Howe is trying to sign Yoane Wissa. With an initial £25m bid turned down by Brentford.

Ornstein saying the talks/pursuit are ongoing and that Wissa has returned home early from the training camp in Portugal to try and get a move to Newcastle United sorted.

Yoane Wissa looks a very credible target as Eddie Howe looks to add more goals and a striker who can play alongside Alexander Isak or deputise for him. With 19 PL goals last season, Wissa scored the most goals of any striker who doesn’t take penalties.

The interest in the Brentford striker though does point to a significant shift in the Newcastle United transfer policy.

Whilst both Pedro and Ekitike are aged 23, Yoane Wissa turns 29 in early September.

This latest bid for a player suggests a far more pragmatic approach to the Newcastle United transfer policy, at the very least in exceptional circumstances.

Apart from the initial relegation fighting transfer window of January 2022, ever since then Newcastle United haven’t paid a transfer fee for a single player over the age of 25. Indeed, apart from Harvey Barnes, no player over the age of 23 has seen a transfer fee paid by NUFC.

I can’t see the Newcastle United transfer policy completely changing and suddenly Eddie Howe and the club changing the general idea of buying younger players who can both progress on the pitch as well as in their valuation off it.

However, this pursuit of Yoane Wissa clearly indicates that when deemed necessary, a pragmatic approach will be taken by Eddie Howe and the Newcastle United owners, when certain positions desperately need strengthening AND the best/only option is to sign an older player.

David Ornstein reporting for The Athletic – 22 July 2025:

‘Brentford have turned down an offer from Newcastle United to sign Yoane Wissa.

A proposal worth £25million was knocked back but the north east club’s pursuit is ongoing, while personal terms would be no problem.

Wissa has returned from Brentford’s pre-season training camp in Portugal to hold face-to-face talks over his future with the Brentford hierarchy.