BBC claim 20-goal striker wants to join Newcastle – £40m deal & personal terms ‘not an issue’

Newcastle United have intensified their efforts to bring in a new striker before the Premier League season begins, with Yoane Wissa of Brentford now firmly in Eddie Howe’s sights.

While the club remains determined to retain top scorer Alexander Isak, reinforcements are clearly necessary following the departure of Callum Wilson and a series of unsuccessful pursuits for other forwards.

Howe’s intentions are clear—he wants to build depth and attacking threat up front, and Wissa has emerged as one of the most appealing options available on the market.

The Magpies have faced a challenging summer in their search for attacking reinforcements. Their £69.5 million bid for Hugo Ekitike was rejected by Eintracht Frankfurt, who later accepted a higher offer from Liverpool.

A £50 million offer for Joao Pedro was also turned down by Brighton before Chelsea swooped in with a more convincing package.

Newcastle also explored a move for Liam Delap and were willing to meet the £30 million release clause set by Ipswich Town, but Delap instead chose to join Chelsea, leaving Newcastle to look elsewhere.

With many top targets slipping through their fingers, the club now appears focused on Wissa as a strong alternative.

Wissa, who scored 20 goals in all competitions for Brentford last season—including two against Newcastle—has become a player of interest for several top Premier League clubs.

Only Mohamed Salah scored more open-play goals than Wissa in the league last season, making the DR Congo international a standout performer.

His versatility is also a key attraction, as he can play both centrally and out wide, giving managers tactical flexibility.

Newcastle aren’t alone in the race for his signature; Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest have also shown strong interest, though the latter had a bid rejected.

The pursuit could become complicated. Brentford have already sanctioned a £71 million move for Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United and had previously stated they would only allow one of their attacking stars—Mbeumo or Wissa—to leave this summer.

However, Wissa’s contract situation could tip the balance. He turns 29 in September and has less than a year remaining on his current deal, though Brentford have an option to extend it.

Despite the club’s efforts to open new contract talks, Wissa has reportedly shown little interest in signing an extension and is believed to be exploring a fresh challenge elsewhere.

According to reports from BBC Sport, the player is open to a move and agreeing personal terms with Newcastle—or Tottenham—should not be an obstacle.

Wissa appears ready for a new chapter in his career, and Newcastle could be the club to offer him the platform he desires.

This makes him an attainable and realistic target, especially for a side that is urgently looking to strengthen its frontline.

So far, Newcastle’s only marquee signing this summer has been Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, who arrived in a deal worth £55 million.

While Elanga brings pace and directness to the attack, the club’s transfer window has otherwise been marked by missed opportunities and unfulfilled plans.

Eddie Howe expressed frustration after a 4-0 preseason defeat to Celtic, admitting the club had hoped to complete its business much earlier.

He acknowledged that Newcastle lost multiple targets to rival clubs and emphasized that a successful signing requires a player to be fully committed to the move.

In his words, the best transfers are those where the player is genuinely eager to join, not merely attracted by financial terms or Premier League status.

That kind of desire is something Newcastle believe they could find in Wissa, whose ambition for a new challenge aligns well with the club’s immediate goals.

With time ticking down before the new season kicks off, Newcastle now appear focused on making a decisive push to land the Brentford star and avoid further frustration in what has so far been a difficult window.