‘They will reach an agreement’ – Transfer expert has update on Newcastle deal
Newcastle United are pushing forward with their efforts to sign Brentford forward Yoane Wissa as he made clear his desire to join them.
That is according to former Man United and Sunderland chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the two clubs are set to reach a compromise over his asking price.
The 28-year-old is refusing to train with Brentford in an attempt to force the move through, putting pressure on the Bees to reduce their demands.
Football Insider revealed on 15 July that Brentford will demand £50million for Wissa after losing Bryan Mbeumo to Man United earlier this month.
Newcastle believe they will be able to negotiate that price tag in talks with the West London club as the striker has burnt his bridges at the Gtech Community Stadium.
However, Football Insider revealed on 13 July that Brentford would not sell both Mbeumo and Wissa after reaching an agreement for the former’s departure.
Newcastle lead race to sign Brentford’s Yoane Wissa
Newcastle are not the only side interested in Wissa, as Brown told Football Inisder that Tottenham want to sign the Brentford forward, but his priority is to join Eddie Howe’s team.
The former scout, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, has insisted that he is expecting an agreement to be reached in the near future.
“I expect they’ll reach an agreement at some stage,” he told Football Insider.
“He’s made it clear he wants to leave, he’s told Brentford that and he’s refusing to train, so Brentford have to decide whether they want an unhappy player at the club.
“In most cases, in that situation, the club decides they’ll have to let him go.
“So then it’s a case of getting the best deal and most amount of money they can get for him.
“I think Bryan Mbeumo played it perfectly, because if that move didn’t happen, he could’ve stayed at Brentford without any issues with the club or the fans.
“Wissa hasn’t done that, he’s burnt his bridges and made it a difficult situation.
“At the moment, Newcastle don’t want to pay what Brentford are asking for.
“I think that price tag is going to come down later in the window and Newcastle might have to go up a little bit so they can meet in the middle.
“So at this stage there’s no agreement, but him forcing the move makes a huge difference.
“Now it’ll be in Newcastle’s hands because it’s about how much they’re willing to pay.”
Liverpool push forward in Alexander Isak pursuit
Newcastle’s pursuit of a new striker comes as they prepare to lose Alexander Isak, who has informed the club of his desire to join Liverpool this summer.
Football Insider revealed on 28 July that Liverpool are increasingly confident of signing Isak, but he will need to push hard enough to get the deal he wants.
A formal bid is expected to land at St James’ Park imminently after an initial approach was made by Arne Slot’s side two weeks ago.
The imminent sale of Luis Diaz is set to free up space in Liverpool’s attack, while Darwin Nunez is expected to follow him through the exit door and Harvey Elliott could also leave.
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