Newcastle and the striker search: why Wissa’s numbers don’t tell the full picture
Newcastle United’s search for a new striker this summer has intensified after losing out on Joao Pedro to Chelsea and Hugo Ekitike, now expected to join Liverpool. With those avenues closed, the Magpies have turned increasing attention to Brentford’s Yoane Wissa as a potential signing. While Wissa ticks many boxes, pace, finishing efficiency, contract expiration, he might not slot neatly into the profile Newcastle truly need. But with few top level forwards seemingly interested in St James’ Park, they may have to recalibrate what can be done.
2024‑25 in full: Wissa’s numbers in context
According to FBRef, Yoane Wissa made 35 Premier League appearances in 2024‑25, scoring 19 goals, making him Brentford’s second‑highest scorer after Bryan Mbeumo (20) and sixth in the overall league tally. He also contributed a 4 assist.
He become Brentford’s record Premier League goalscorer when he overtook Ivan Toney in January 2025, finishing the season with a career-high total and firmly establishing his credentials.
Wissa’s conversion rate was excellent. In a team that rarely dominates possession, he scored often from high-quality chances, largely in transitions or dead-ball situations. His expected goals per shot tally is strikingly high, meaning he gets little margin for error. Unlike a Joao Pedro or Ekitike, who are involved both in build-up and chance creation, Wissa lives off service, particularly direct passes behind the defence, crosses, or quick counters around the box.
As you can see from the graphic, his goals all come from strikes inside the box, within the width of the six yard area.
Playing style: profile and limitations
Wissa is tough, fast, and clinical. In a less dominant Brentford side, he often had to provoke shots from fleeting openings. His movement off the ball is intelligent: making diagonal runs between defenders or drifting wide in moments of space, enabling those high-percentage opportunities.
However, he’s not a creator. He registers very few key passes, dribbles, or progressive links into the final third. He rarely creates his own openings, instead, he relies on teammates to supply those golden chances. He is not a classic target man, nor a forward who can unlock a low block through ingenuity or sustained possession. He is, more simply, a lethal finisher when the ball arrives within reach.
Given Newcastle’s relative abundance of possession and transitional speed through players like Isak, Gordon, Murphy, and now Elanga, one can see how Wissa might flourish. But against compact defences, he would likely struggle to influence matches as consistently as the other strikers the club have looked at this summer.
Recent developments: contract situation and transfer momentum
In the past few days, multiple reliable outlets have reported that Wissa has no interest in signing a new contract at Brentford and wants a move this summer. Although Brentford originally appeared reluctant to sell, valuing him north of £50m and stating they would rebuff offers while retaining a one-year option on his deal, that stance may be softening if he pushes to move.
David Ornstein of The Athletic confirms Newcastle are exploring Wissa as a viable target now that Ekitike is off the table. Tottenham and Forest remain in the mix too, meaning competition for his signature may drive the price up.
Newcastle’s calculus: fit, price, and alternatives
If Newcastle can secure Wissa for around £30-£40 million, many will argue that’s a good price for a proven Premier League scorer. Those arguing that would would be right but is he the type of striker Eddie Howe requires to break down stubborn defences and come alive in tight matches?
Wissa offers goals from very limited chances in transition, an undervalued trait, but one that Newcastle already have in abundance. He is unlikely to fashion chances for others or impact play in congested areas. Contrast that with more fluid forwards like Joao Pedro or Hugo Ekitike: they contribute to build‑up, drop deep, and can generate chances from nothing.
Ekitike, at 23, has dynamism and positional flexibility, Pedro offers more creativity, but with Newcastle now out of the race for those two, and no other workable targets lined up, that recalibrates the search to not who we ideally want, but who we can realistically get and integrate.
Ccompromise or long-term risk?
So, is Yoane Wissa the answer to Newcastle’s striker void? Perhaps, if the question is framed narrowly: “Who will score goals from limited service and cost under £50m?” But if the question is broader, involving creativity, link‑up play, pressing variety and match-breaking against low blocks, Wissa falls short.
That leaves Newcastle with a choice: either change the question (“we need a striker who will backup Isak, not compliment him”), or hold out in hopes the right option emerges. With the summer window advancing, patience and clarity will be as crucial as decisiveness.
Wissa is no doubt a good player, but the question remains, is he the right player?
