Newcastle United are exploring a deal to sign Brentford striker Yoane Wissa after cooling their interest in Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.
The north-east club are yet to contact Brentford but that is expected soon, while an agreement would also be needed with the DR Congo international on personal terms.
Nottingham Forest recently saw an offer for Wissa rejected.
The 28-year-old was the Premier League’s highest non-penalty goalscorer last season, finding the net 19 times in 35 games.
His Brentford contract expires in June 2026, though they have an option to extend by 12 months.
Newcastle were prioritising a move for Ekitike but had an €80million (£69.3m; $92.8m) bid turned down and are not actively working on the situation at present. The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Liverpool had made contact with Frankfurt over a move for the 23-year-old.
Wissa is high among their alternative targets but Brentford’s willingness to sell and the potential asking price may rest on what happens in relation to his team-mate Bryan Mbeumo, who is being pursued by Manchester United.
Any exit for Wissa, who joined Brentford from Lorient in August 2021, would only add to a huge summer of change at the west London club.
Thomas Frank, who brought Wissa to England and helped to mould him into a top-level forward, has since moved from Brentford to Tottenham Hotspur along with three members of his backroom staff.
Captain Christian Norgaard has also joined Arsenal with Keith Andrews, the former midfielder and previously the club’s set-piece coach, appointed as Frank’s replacement last month.
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