Huge update on Newcastle United's striker pursuit as £40m target leaves training camp for talks
Newcastle United could be edging closer to signing a striker as one of their main targets has left his club's training camp in Portugal to fly to the UK for talks.
After missing out on a trio of strikers already this summer, Newcastle are stepping up its hunt for another centre-forward who can contribute to the cause as Newcastle is set to compete on four fronts next season.
One forward Newcastle have in their sights is Brentford's Yoane Wissa. The 28-year-old is coming off a tremendous season with the Bees, where he scored 19 top-flight goals, more than any other non-penalty-taker in the league.
It's being reported that even though Brentford were only willing to sanction the departure of one of Yoane Wissa or Bryan Mbeumo, Wissa has made it clear that he wants to move, despite the sale of Mbeumo to Manchester United having gone through.
Yoane Wissa has left Brentford's training camp in Portugal
BBC Sport are now reporting that Yoane Wissa has left Brentford's Portuguese training camp to fly back to London for talks with Phil Giles about his future.
Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest are all keen on Wissa, and the DR Congo striker is thought to be keen on a move, especially given the offer of European football.
With Wissa turning 29 in September, this could be his last big move and the last chance he'll get to pursue his Champions League dreams, which puts Newcastle in a strong position to sign him.
Brentford could be quids in this summer, which should make their job easier to find replacements for Wissa and Mbeumo
Brentford have just landed £65 million for Bryan Mbeumo, and another £40 million is expected if they end up selling Yoane Wissa, but they'd have to get the deal done quickly so they have enough time to find replacements with their newfound riches. That could be the incentive to get a deal done, and one that Newcastle should use to their advantage in talks.
There's still every chance that Phil Giles can convince Wissa to stay at Brentford, in which case Newcastle will have their answer. But it's becoming increasingly important that a resolution is found soon, as given how long it takes Newcastle to make any kind of signing, it's safe to say that even with five weeks of the window left, time is running out.
As we've already alluded to, Wissa wouldn't be our first choice this summer, but we also wouldn't be cursing the club if that's who we do end up with ... as long as we keep hold of Alexander Isak.
