Forget Yoanne Wissa: Newcastle United can sign an even better hidden gem striker for £40m
Newcastle United are thought to be considering alternative options to Yoane Wissa
Newcastle United’s frustrating search for a striker hit the headlines once again when Brentford declared that Yoane Wissa would not be available for a transfer this summer.
This comes just days after Newcastle had an opening bid in the region of £26m turned down for the 28-year-old striker with initial reports suggesting that the Magpies would be willing to increase their offer to around £30m with a potential £5m included in performance related add-ons.
Wissa is said to be furious with Brentford for not sanctioning the deal and it’s reported by Sky Sports that he does not intend to train or play with the club again after his promise of being allowed to leave this summer was broken. The DR Congo international is thought to be extremely keen on a transfer to St. James’ Park this summer due to his desire of playing in the Champions League.
Newcastle are thought to be huge admirers of Wissa after his 19-goal season for the Bees last term, with all of his strikes coming from open play last term. However, they are thought to be reluctant to pay over the odds for a striker that turns 29 later this year and are thought to be unwilling to pay Brentford’s reported price tag of around £50m, according to claims from reporter Ben Jacobs.
Wissa is believed to be still holding out for a move to Newcastle but at this stage it’s reported that the Magpies are pursuing alternative options as their scramble for a striker continues.
Why Newcastle United must sign a striker this summer
Heading into the season, Newcastle United were already short in the striker department when it became clear that Callum Wilson had no intention of signing a new incentive-based contract with the club.The 33-year-old had a nightmare with injuries last season and failed to score in 18 appearances, leaving the inexperienced William Osula as the only alternative to talismanic Swede, Alexander Isak.
Newcastle were heavily reliant on Isak and expressed an interest in signing the likes of Yoane Wissa, Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike to try and add competition for the 25-year-old before even learning of Isak’s intentions to explore other options. With Isak now considering his future in the North East it seems probable that the club will have to sign at least two proven goalscorers if the Swede is to depart.
The £40m Yoanne Wissa alternative Newcastle United could target
Regardless of what happens with Alexander Isak, Newcastle United are desperately short of options in the striker department and need to sign a proven finisher this summer.One potential alternative to Yoanne Wissa that Newcastle could consider is Mika Biereth of AS Monaco.
Biereth is a 22-year-old centre forward that is currently making waves in France with AS Monaco after moving to Stade Louis II for a reported figure of just £10.8m during the January transfer window. He scored a combined total of 27 goals across all competitions last season, including 13 in 16 matches in France after completing his January transfer.
Biereth was born in London and came through the ranks at Fulham before catching the eyes of Arsenal in 2021. During his final year in the Cottagers academy he scored 25 goals and assisted 15 in 37 appearances for the Under-18 team before moving to the Emirates Stadium.He never got the chance to play for Arsenal but did feature in the matchday squad as a substitute on four occasions.
Biereth is a natural poacher with great strength, movement while always causing the opposition problems with his pressing. He’s reported by Caught Offside to be valued at around £40m and could prove a great addition to Newcastle’s striking options.
"I'm quite a simple striker, a bit old fashioned in terms of not too bothered about build-up play and looking pretty and appearing in too many YouTube highlights," Biereth explains.
"I stick to my job and try and do it as efficiently as possible, and that is score goals.A lot of my goals are not the prettiest ones, probably rebounds within the five-yard line and really close to the goal. That's just how I play."
He’s much less proven than Wissa but is six years younger and from a PSR perspective could represent good market value if he continues to score goals at the same rate in years to come.