The Story So Far: Yoane Wissa | OneFootball

Born in France of Congolese descent, Wissa began playing football as a goalkeeper from an early age for his hometown club, Épinay-sous-Sénart, before moving to midfield and then the forward line. After spending nine years at Épinay-sous-Sénart's Academy along with a one-year spell at Linas Montlhéry, Wissa began his senior career at LB Châteauroux after initially impressing for the club's reserve team, scoring nine times in 20 matches, and netted seven goals in 23 first team appearances for the French third tier side.

A move to Angers, nicknamed the Black and Whites, followed in 2016 but despite making his French top-flight bow in November 2016, the African forward was unable to establish a regular spot in the Ligue 1 outfit after recording two substitute appearances.

Wissa, however, joined Ligue 2 club Ajaccio on loan for the first half of the 2017/18 season and scored eight goals in 20 league outings before permanently joining Lorient in January 2018, netting a further four times, finishing the campaign with 15 strikes across all competitions.

Lorient sealed promotion to the French top-flight in 2019/20, with Wissa playing an instrumental role in the club's title-winning success after scoring 15 goals, finishing above Lens by a single point.  After a three-year spell at Les Merlus, scoring 35 league goals, Wissa completed a reported £8.5M move to newly-promoted Brentford in the summer of 2021 on a four-year contract.

Wissa made an electric start to life at the Bees after scoring five goals in his first six appearances for the club, netting on his first start in a 3-1 win against Forest Green Rovers in the Carabao Cup. Despite an ankle injury halting his bright goalscoring run, Wissa ended the 2021/22 campaign with ten goals across all competitions as Brentford claimed an impressive 13th place finish during the club's first ever Premier League campaign.

After scoring seven league goals in 2022/23, a season which saw the Bees challenge for a European place on the final day before finishing in ninth place, Wissa became Brentford's starting centre-forward the following season after Ivan Toney's eight-month ban from all footballing activity. The DR Congo international ended the season with 12 Premier League goals, grabbing a goal and assist during Brentford's final-day defeat against Newcastle.

Last season proved to be Wissa's best in front of goal after scoring 20 goals in all competitions, including 19 Premier League strikes, as well as developing a strong partnership with fellow attacker Bryan Mbeumo.

The 28-year-old, who was nominated for November's Premier League Player of the Month award after scoring scoring three goals in four appearances, was on target in the Bees' 4-2 Premier League win against the Magpies and scored a late consolation in a 3-1 defeat at St. James' Park in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

At international level, Wissa has accrued 33 caps for DR Congo at senior level and scored six times since his debut in October 2020.

He was also part of his country's run to the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, losing out to eventual tournament winners Ivory Coast, but his bright performances resulted in a place in the Team of the Tournament.

Wissa becomes United's sixth senior summer arrival after finalising a long-term deal at St. James' Park and has been handed the number 9 shirt, following in the footsteps of fellow African strikers, Papiss Cissé and Obafemi Martins to wear the iconic jersey.

The forward, who celebrates his 29th birthday on Wednesday, said: "It's a privilege to be the following nine of a lot of historic nines, especially after Callum Wilson and Alan Shearer.

"It's a really nice shirt as well and I'm looking forward to scoring goals with this shirt."