When Newcastle splashed out £50 million on Yoane Wissa in September 2025, they would have expected him to be settled and flying by the end of the calendar year. For reasons outside of the Magpies’ control, that has not been the case.
An untimely injury picked up on international duty kept the Congolese forward sidelined for four months, forcing him to sit out 25 matches. Eddie Howe was left cursing his luck and wondering if a black cat associated with fierce geographical rivals from down the road had crossed his path.
Patience has been required from all concerned at St James’ Park, with there being no point in becoming bogged down in misfortune and wondering what could have been. There is enough talent at Newcastle to cover any enforced absences.
Rest and rotate
Points were not picked up as quickly at the start of 2025-26 as anybody had hoped, but form has been found at home and abroad, and online sports betting markets now have the Magpies priced at 5/1 for a top-four finish in the Premier League and 40/1 to claim a historic Champions League crown.
Adding Wissa to domestic and continental causes will give Howe the option to rest and rotate, with much pack shuffling able to take place. Newcastle have been crying out for such a luxury in the attacking department.
They have proven performers at their disposal down the middle and on the flanks, but said assets cannot be pushed to the breaking point. Another body will help to carry the load and share responsibility.
Wissa knows his way to the back of the net, having plundered 49 goals across 149 appearances for previous employers Brentford. He has tended to tick over at around one in three across his career as a whole.
Said return is not to be sniffed at and suggests that Newcastle will pose opponents plenty of problems once everybody is fit and firing. One of their most elaborate additions is capable of operating across the front line.
It is down the middle that his presence will be most welcomed, with former Magpies defender John Anderson admitting that recent forcing of square pegs into round holes does not “really work” and having Wissa available will be a “big bonus”.
He has been handed the fabled No.9 jersey, which represents a sizable show of faith in what can be offered to the collective cause. Following in the footsteps of Alan Shearer, Malcolm Macdonald, and Jackie Milburn is not for the faint-hearted.
Embrace pressure
Wissa is ready to embrace that pressure, with their unwavering belief on his part that expectations in the North East can be met. He is determined to make the most of a big break, having found himself playing second-tier football in France as recently as 2020.
He still has much to prove, with a hefty price tag hanging around his neck, but aforementioned patience should be rewarded in time as Newcastle become much more than a one-trick pony in the goal-getting department and questionable experiments stop.
