Newcastle United's £18.3m per goal transfer dilemma as Yoane Wissa stats laid bare The Magpies spent £55m on their new No 9 last summer but have seen little return on their investment Comments Stuart Jamieson Football Content Editor 14:49, 20 Apr 2026 Updated 07:45, 21 Apr 2026 View 2 Images Newcastle United No 9 Yoane Wissa (Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images) He was supposed to the ready-made, Premier League-savvy striker to help ease the pressure on club-record signing Nick Woltemade. The reality is that Yoane Wissa's move to Newcastle United has turned into something of a nightmare for both club and player. It was always hard to ignore the feeling that United vastly overpaid for the DR Congo striker, but the circumstances of last summer's transfer situation, with Alexander Isak's exit to Liverpool taking far too long, and resulted in rushed purchases. However, the argument went that he was more capable of being a like-for-like replacement for the departing Isak, in style if not ability, and his proven Premier League goal record suggested he could at least repay some of the £55m pricetag. Like Isak , his lack of training time for Brentford over the summer, after he went on 'strike' to try to force a move, has cost him, although it was a knee injury picked up on international duty in early September that meant he was not seen in a Newcastle shirt until December. Get Chronicle Premium now for just £1 HERE – exclusive news and features, our NUFC and Academy notebooks, John Gibson's columns plus an ad-lite experience His return to the squad was supposed to give Eddie Howe a vital extra attacking weapon, and with the prospect of a packed new year schedule, it was perfectly timed. Woltemade had done well enough leading the line, with Anthony Gordon supporting in a No 9 role on occasions, but Wissa was seen as the more natural centre-forward to lift the burden from those less familiar with the position. There was even talk of Wissa and Woltemade forming an old-fashioned strike partnership which could give Newcastle the creative the spark they had perhaps been missing. Fast forward five months and we enter the final weeks of the season with neither in the first team. Wissa is in danger of becoming a forgotten figure with Will Osula preferred in the defeats to Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. The 29-year-old has played just 16 minutes of Premier League football since he started against his old club Brentford on February 7, and just 427 minutes of football in the league all season. In total, he has 810 minutes under his belt, with more regular appearances in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, but that has brought just three goals to date. It's perhaps crass to put it in these terms, but that's £18.3m per goal. By contrast, he was a regular fixture in the Brentford side under Thomas Frank, totalling 3,079 minutes over the 2024-25 campaign, scoring 20 goals in the process. View 2 Images Yoane Wissa's Newcastle stats so far this season So what do United do now? It appears he doesn't have a future at the club under Howe, although the head coach has spoken positively about his fitness levels in recent weeks. “We’ve probably seen the best of him in his time at Newcastle this week, we’ve been pleased with him physically," Howe said of his No 9 after the recent international break. "He’s been trying, he’s been really wanting to make a difference. There have been physical things stopping him from doing that. No injury, just time on the pitch, he needs training to get his body up to full speed. The best is yet to come.” That has not been backed up by minutes on the pitch, of course, and while Osula is far from the finished product, it's doubtful whether Howe will drop him after two goals in two games. Newcastle need to sell this summer, but face taking a huge hit on Wissa should they move him on, with a potential £25m-£30m drop between what they paid for and what other sides are willing to fork out for his services. Article continues below Neither party can allow the current situation to continue. Wissa will be 30 later this year and won't want to see out his career on the bench, while United cannot afford to have such an expensive asset on the sidelines. Unless something changes in the next five games, a summer exit appears to be only one solution which will draw a line under a sorry episode. Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more £44 Sky Get the deal here Product Description Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL. Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
Curated by Taleb Kabbara · Source: www.chroniclelive.co.uk