Outscoring Woltemade: Howe must regret selling Newcastle’s original version of Wissa
The dust is finally settling on the Alexander Isak transfer saga at Newcastle United, allowing manager Eddie Howe to fully focus on the season ahead with his new-look squad.
While the club’s owners never intended to sell their Swedish superstar, his determined efforts to force a move to Liverpool ultimately made his departure unavoidable.
In response, the Magpies have moved quickly to reinvest the massive £125 million fee, bringing in two new strikers to lead the line for the new campaign.
The primary challenge was always going to be replacing Isak’s phenomenal goal output. Last season, he was simply unstoppable, scoring 27 goals across all competitions.
In the Premier League alone, he found the net 23 times, a tally bettered only by the legendary Mohamed Salah. To address this, the club made two significant signings.
The first was the £69 million club-record acquisition of Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart, a young German forward seen as a star for the future. The second, and perhaps more immediately important, was the £55 million signing of Yoane Wissa from Brentford.
Wissa arrives with proven Premier League pedigree. Last season, he scored 19 goals for a Brentford team that often struggled, demonstrating a sharp instinct in front of goal.
While he may not possess the same breathtaking technical flair as Isak, he offers a reliable, hard-working, and consistent presence in the final third. Paired with the potential of Woltemade, Newcastle’s attack has been completely refashioned.
However, this overhaul might lead some fans to think about a what-if scenario involving a former striker. As the club navigates this period of transition, there’s a growing sense that they may have let a proven goal-scorer go too soon, a player who is currently outperforming both of their new signings: Chris Wood.
When Newcastle signed Wood from Burnley for £25 million in January 2022, it was a typical short-term fix for a club battling relegation.
At 30 years old, he was brought in for his experience and his proven ability to score goals in the Premier League, which he had done consistently for Burnley.
Unfortunately, his time on Tyneside never really took off. He often looked out of place in a team that was still finding its identity, managing only a handful of goals before being sold to Nottingham Forest.
That sale, which was prompted by the club’s decision to break their transfer record for Alexander Isak, now looks like it might have been a premature decision.
Since joining Forest, Chris Wood has experienced a spectacular career renaissance. Last season, he was nothing short of sensational, scoring 20 Premier League goals a higher total than both Woltemade (12) and Wissa (19) managed—and firing his team to a European qualification spot.
A look at his recent numbers shows a striker who has rediscovered his best form and is showing no signs of slowing down, even at 33 years of age.
| Season | Club | Apps | Goals (Assists) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25/26 (Current) | Nottingham Forest | 3 | 2 (0) |
| 24/25 | Nottingham Forest | 36 | 20 (3) |
| 23/24 | Nottingham Forest | 31 | 14 (1) |
| 22/23 | Nottingham Forest | 7 | 1 (0) |
| 21/22 | Newcastle United | 18 | 2 (0) |
This incredible resurgence proves that the quality was always there. The powerful, aerial threat that made him so successful at Burnley just needed the right system and a run of games to flourish.
Had he been given more time and patience at Newcastle, he could have developed into a crucial player for the team.
Of course, signing Isak was an opportunity the club could not pass up, and it ultimately ended Wood’s chances of becoming a hero at St. James’ Park. But as the team now adapts to life without Isak, the presence of a confident, in-form, and physical striker like Chris Wood would have been invaluable.
He would have provided a proven, clinical outlet and could have offered a very different, but equally effective, option to complement the skills of Wissa and Woltemade. His story is a reminder that sometimes, a player just needs the right environment to show what he can truly do.