Celebrating his 29th birthday in just two days
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Newcastle United has reportedly come to a verbal agreement with Brentford regarding the transfer of Yoane Wissa. This saga has unfolded over several months, with Wissa expressing his desire to join St James’ Park for the chance to play Champions League football. On Sunday, he took to social media to reveal that Brentford had been “unduly standing in (his) way” regarding the transfer. He claimed that the club had “significantly changed its position” after previously indicating they would allow him to leave if they received a reasonable offer.
It took a substantial offer to finalize the deal. Wissa’s current market value is around €32 million; however, an agreed fixed fee of €63.5 million has been reported, with half paid upfront and the remaining amount due next year. Newcastle sources argue that the actual fee is closer to €57 million, potentially rising to €63.5 million with included conditions. A 25% sell-on clause has also been negotiated, and the 28-year-old forward is scheduled for a medical examination on Tyneside ahead of the 7 pm UK deadline today.
If the transfer goes through for €63.5 million, it will make Wissa the third most expensive Premier League transfer for a player aged 28 or older in the league’s history. Only two deals surpassing this amount are Romelu Lukaku’s €113 million move from Inter Milan to Chelsea when he was 28 and Casemiro’s €70.7 million transfer from Real Madrid to Manchester United at age 30. Notably, Wissa will turn 29 on September 3, just two days away. The Congolese forward has proven himself in the Premier League, scoring 19 goals last season, although the transfer fee is quite steep for a player of his age.
