Newcastle Hunting for a Striker: What We Know So Far

As the summer transfer market for 2025 comes to an end, Newcastle United is working harder than ever to fix big concerns with its roster, especially in the striker position. The club’s major ambition is to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford, but matters have gotten more complicated because Brentford wants more money, and Aston Villa is now interested in Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea. Newcastle is at a very significant time in the Premier League season when they need to make important additions, since Alexander Isak’s future is up in the air. This article goes into great detail on Newcastle’s transfer plans, focusing on the talks for Wissa, the fight for Jackson, and what these movements represent for the club’s 2025–26 season as of August 18, 2025. Live betting odds at Betwhale indicate that Newcastle United are currently 6/2 to finish in the top six, but a new forward player is 100% needed to guarantee this.

Yoane Wissa: A Big Target in Important Talks

It is well known that Newcastle United wants to recruit Yoane Wissa from Brentford. The 28-year-old Congolese forward scored 19 goals in the Premier League last season. People think he can either replace Isak or work with him. Fans are hopeful that Wissa will join Newcastle and play in the Champions League, but negotiations have halted because Brentford wants too much money.

People believed at first that Brentford wanted £40 million for Wissa. But current news says the price has gone up to £50–60 million, which Newcastle’s owners, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), are not willing to pay for a player who is almost 29 and has one year left on his contract. Craig Hope of The Mail claimed that Newcastle is preparing to enter into significant negotiations with Brentford on August 18, 2025. They want to come to an agreement and are thinking about making a £35 million plus bonuses offer.

Brentford doesn’t want to sell because they don’t have many players on their team. They lost key players, including Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United for £71 million, Christian Norgaard to Arsenal, and manager Thomas Frank to Tottenham Hotspur. To replace Mbeumo, the Bees have recruited Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth for a record £42.5 million. They are still sure that Wissa will only go if they get another forward, perhaps Daizen Maeda from Celtic. This position has started a convoluted chain reaction in moves, and Newcastle’s hopes depend on Brentford being able to conclude hiring.

Wissa’s Profile and How He Fits

Since joining Brentford from Lorient in 2021, Wissa has been a major part of their attack because of his pace, dribbling skills, and finishing ability. He scored 19 goals and set up five others in 35 Premier League appearances last season, which indicates that he can play at the greatest level. Howe loves strikers who can play anywhere on the front line, and he can do that. Wissa’s absence from Brentford’s first Premier League game against Nottingham Forest on August 17, 2025, and his apparent anger—shown by his deleting Brentford mentions from social media—show that he wants to move to Newcastle.

Keith Andrews, the head coach of Brentford, revealed that Wissa wasn’t present because he wasn’t feeling well mentally. If he doesn’t move, the club wants him back. Wissa’s verbal agreement on personal terms gives Newcastle hope, but the fact that their £35 million offer is much lower than Brentford’s £50–60 million estimate makes things difficult. The next 24 hours will be very significant. If Newcastle can’t agree, they could have to go for other players, which could make it harder for them to let Isak go.

Al-Nassr’s Threat from the Outside

L’Equipe, a French news site, indicates that Al-Nassr, a club controlled by Newcastle’s investors PIF, is ready to pay the asking amount for Wissa. This makes the talks harder. This report means that a sister club could outbid Newcastle, which would be quite disappointing for Wissa because he would rather play for Newcastle in the Champions League. It’s a little odd that the information comes from France, but it underlines how crucial it is for Newcastle to finish a deal before outside interest gets in the way of their plans.

Aston Villa Is Now in the Running for Nicolas Jackson

Newcastle’s transfer plans are even harder now as Aston Villa is interested in Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, who is also a top target for Newcastle’s striker list. On August 18, 2025, Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports claimed that Villa had added the 24-year-old Senegalese forward to their shortlist and begun talks. This made the competition to sign him even more heated. Jackson, who has been linked to Newcastle, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United, is thought to be moving closer to leaving Chelsea. He hasn’t been able to stay consistent there, even though he has shown flashes of potential.

Aston Villa might be interested because their top scorer, Ollie Watkins, might leave this summer. Watkins scored 19 goals in the Premier League last season. Newcastle is also interested in him. Villa would need to find a replacement like Jackson to preserve their offensive depth for their European campaign if he left. Newcastle and Villa are both attempting to win the Champions League, which demonstrates how crucial it is to find a good forward.

Jackson’s Fit

Jackson’s speed, strength, and ability to press suited with Howe’s high-intensity style at Newcastle. He might be a better player than Wilson and an ideal companion for Isak. Newcastle and Chelsea’s early talks suggest that the transfer fee will be far lower than £80 million, maybe around £60 million. This is conceivable because Newcastle, Chelsea, and their Saudi-backed owners get along well. Some people in Newcastle’s management think Jackson is a worthwhile investment, but others are apprehensive about how reliable he is.

Villa’s interest in Jackson might make him more expensive or make Newcastle work swiftly to get him to sign. It looks like Newcastle and Villa are the only teams left in the competition for Jackson now that Manchester United has signed Benjamin Sesko and Bayern Munich is out of the race. The outcome will presumably rely on which team can meet Chelsea’s price and Jackson’s aspirations.

The Alexander Isak Situation: A Point of No Return?

Isak’s goal and what transpired next

The transfer window for Newcastle has been hampered by the fact that Alexander Isak’s future is unclear. The Swedish forward didn’t want to train, therefore he missed the opening game against Aston Villa. It looks like he wants to move to Liverpool now. People have said bad things about what he did. Wayne Rooney, a former Manchester United striker, claimed on Match of the Day that Isak’s actions have affected his teammates’ trust in him. He also said that teams who would want to recruit him, like Liverpool, might think twice about doing so since they might question his dedication.

Eddie Howe has emphasised again that he wants players who are dedicated, and Dan Burn and other teammates have commented about the team’s philosophy as a whole. This makes it appear like Isak’s actions have turned important people at the club against him. Isak could have to stay at Newcastle even though he’s not happy there because Liverpool hasn’t made him an offer yet and he has a fine coming up for not showing up. This might undermine team unity. Newcastle won’t let Isak go until they get two forwards, maybe Wissa and Jackson. The team will be substantially weaker if Isak goes and there aren’t any decent substitutes.

What it will mean for Newcastle’s season

Newcastle’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on August 16, 2025, revealed how bad their offence was without Isak. Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon both missed chances in the first half, which showed how desperately they needed a good finisher. They had the ball 60% of the time and took eight shots. Sandro Tonali, Dan Burn, and Fabian Schar all played well, but the game proved that Newcastle lacks a reliable No. 9. If they want to do well in the Premier League and Champions League, they need to figure out what to do about Isak, either by bringing him back or dealing him.