Newcastle United’s summer-long striker search and bid to replace Callum Wilson is FINALLY edging closer.
Nick Woltemade has signed as the man to fill Alexander Isak’s boots, with the Swede all set to join Liverpool for £130m, but Eddie Howe needs a second forward.
Yoane Wissa has been the key target to replace Wilson, now at West Ham, for several weeks now, and it’s emerged that progress is now being made on his proposed move to St James’ Park.
We can reveal that Newcastle and Brentford have struck an agreement, with the Bees backing down on the £65m demands following talks over the weekend.
It’s our understanding that a fee in excess of £50m has been agreed for the 28-year-old striker, who is desperate to seal a deadline day switch to the North East and looks set to sign a four-year deal once a medical is completed.
Much like Newcastle’s position on Alexander Isak, Brentford have softened their stance late on and look set to cash in while they can, with Wissa approaching 29.
There is also a fear in West London that the DR Congo international may refuse to reintegrate if denied a move that he believed was promised to him earlier this summer if the right offer arrived.
Should the deal go through ahead of tonight’s 7pm deadline, Wissa is set to be handed the famous number nine shirt, seeing last season’s 19-goal striker arrive as the man to compliment and compete with Nick Woltemade.
Elsewhere, Trevan Sanusi is expected to leave the club on loan today, with the club also searching for a late move for full-back Harrison Ashby.
50 mil for Wissa is insane. But desperate measures I suppose. Might be the difference between success and failure this season.
Jimmy(Quote)
125 for the rat is insane the amount of money spent on buying players and their wages has been insane for years.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
If he gets 19 goals from open play for us, it’s not so crazy. We can address the African Nations Cup in January with 4 months to find another.
Greggsboy(Quote)
I imagine that Woltemade and Gordon will manage that period between them.
Johnny Mac(Quote)
Would hate to have to do any business with Brentford again with the prices they demanded for Wissa and Mubemo.
We are too soft Longstaff for £15 million says it all, and paying half the Greek goalkeeper’s wages, Taggert’s probably as well.
Joseph(Quote)
Brentford are like Brighton in the sense they they are very shrewd operators, I only hope that with a proper DoF in the building and CEO providing direction that we become like they are.
Johnny Mac(Quote)
I recall the amount we spent on Woods, and Forest also faced some backlash for it. I concur that this fee, if verified, seems quite high, but let’s wait and see how he performs over the next two/three seasons. If he manages to score as many goals as he did last season over that period, it will be a worthwhile investment.
He represents another step in our development if the transfer goes ahead.
Pitchside parent(Quote)
£55 million is bonkers for someone approaching 29 years of age, and he will be missing for 6 weeks for African Nations.
Brentford must be laughing themselves to sleep, we should have left them with an unhappy player.
Joseph(Quote)
Sound comment by Joseph, and this is an indictment of our tragically useless incompetence throughout this window. We have to get somebody – and it has to be the right person – in place to do our transfer work, which every other club has and we – appallingly – haven’t. This is incompetence on high.
davewallace(Quote)
i think a great deal though we have overpaid but he scored more goals than isak in openplay have people realised mainly isak good at pens but thats all not world class good luck liverpool with the lazy striker good riddance onwards
jen(Quote)
Shambles.
This might be best decision given the moment we are currently in. But how did we get ourselves into this position. The exec team needs sorting out asap.
Howe the toon(Quote)