When Alexander Isak completed his record-breaking transfer to Liverpool, Newcastle United were left with a massive hole in their frontline. Eddie Howe’s team lost not just a prolific scorer but also the striker who defined their attack. To fill that gap, the club turned to Yoane Wissa, a man arriving from Brentford with the numbers and experience to suggest he can step into the role.
The transfer did not come cheap. Newcastle paid Brentford around 55 million pounds for the 28-year-old, even though he had only one year left on his contract. Many thought the fee was excessive, but the money from the Isak sale gave the club the flexibility, and more importantly, they had no choice but to move for a proven forward.
Ready Now, Unlike Woltemade:
Newcastle had already added Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart earlier in the summer. At 23, he has clear potential, but his 14 top-flight goals so far show that he is more creator than finisher. He prefers dropping deep to link play rather than staying high to score. That makes him a project for the future rather than an instant solution. Wissa, on the other hand, is ready to deliver immediately.
A Premier League Goal Machine:
The statistics from last season shows why Newcastle went for him. Only Mohamed Salah scored more non-penalty goals with 20 compared to Wissa’s 19. Only Erling Haaland posted a higher non-penalty expected goals tally with 18.9 compared to Wissa’s 18.6. On a per-90 basis, Wissa recorded 0.57 non-penalty xG, again second only to Haaland who managed 0.60.
These figures show how effective Wissa was at finding scoring positions. He consistently got into dangerous areas close to goal and finished chances reliably. That fits perfectly with Newcastle’s style of play, which often involves Jacob Murphy bursting down the right wing and cutting the ball across goal. Murphy assisted Isak seven times last season, the most of any combination in the league, and Wissa looks well-suited to benefit from the same kind of service.
No Stranger to Partnerships:
Wissa has also shown he can form strong attacking combinations. At Brentford, his link with Bryan Mbeumo was among the most productive in the league. Together they created 29 chances for each other, a tally bettered only by Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke with 35 and Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah with 33. They also combined for six goals, which placed them just behind Isak and Murphy with seven and Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins with seven.
This suggests Wissa could strike up a similar partnership with Newcastle players. Woltemade’s tendency to drop deep could complement Wissa’s movement in the box, much like his chemistry with Mbeumo. At Stuttgart, Woltemade often operated in a two-striker system and thrived when paired with Ermedin Demirovic or Deniz Undav. That experience could help him adjust quickly to playing alongside Wissa.
More Than a Poacher:
Although finishing is his standout skill, Wissa is not limited to being a fox in the box. Last season he recorded 244 carries, more than almost every striker in the league. Only Isak with 268, João Pedro with 273 and Liam Delap managed more. In terms of progressive carries, only Pedro with 124 and Delap with 121 had higher numbers than Wissa with 119. When it came to carries ending with a shot, Wissa produced 24, second only to Delap with 26. He even scored three goals after driving with the ball, a number that only Haaland bettered with six.
This shows that while Isak dazzled with dribbles and long-range strikes, Wissa also has the ability to create his own chances. He may not match the Swede’s flair from distance, as Wissa scored no goals from outside the box last season while Isak managed three, but his contribution with the ball is still significant.
Brentford’s Leading Marksman:
Wissa leaves Brentford as their top Premier League scorer of all time. He netted 45 goals, ahead of Bryan Mbeumo with 42 and Ivan Toney with 36. His numbers secure his legacy as one of the most important players in Brentford’s Premier League journey.
A New Number Nine at St James’ Park:
Now wearing the famous number nine shirt at Newcastle, Wissa has a chance to make his mark at one of the league’s biggest clubs. Replacing Isak like-for-like was never realistic, but Wissa’s record shows he can take on a large part of the responsibility.
He is consistent, proven in the Premier League, and capable of more than simply finishing off chances. For Newcastle, this signing could be the difference between struggling without their former star and continuing to compete at the highest level.
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