Welcome back to The High Ground, a football newsletter that’s as inviting as scoring an open goal.
Transfer deadline day at St James’ Park felt like a soap opera with a plot twist. Newcastle finally caved, letting Alexander Isak head to Liverpool for a British-record £125m. Painful? Sure. But they didn’t sulk. They acted.
Enter Yoane Wissa. For £55m, the ex-Brentford forward gets the number nine shirt, the Geordie roar, and one of the most thankless jobs in football: replacing Isak.
The question is: can he?
From Brentford Buzz to Toon Army Roar
Wissa wanted this move. He pushed for it. Brentford cashed in. Newcastle, flush with Isak money, paid the premium.
On paper, £55m for a 28-year-old with one year left on his contract feels like overpaying. But when the Premier League’s third-most lethal non-penalty scorer becomes available, sometimes you don’t haggle — you pounce.
By the Numbers: Wissa vs the Elite
Last season, Wissa sat in elite company:
Non-penalty goals per 90:
Haaland – 0.62
Isak – 0.62
Wissa – 0.58
Salah – 0.53
Marmoush – 0.53
Total non-penalty goals: 19 (second only to Salah’s 20).
Non-penalty xG: 18.6 (behind only Haaland).
That’s not “solid understudy” territory. That’s “borderline world-class finisher in a mid-table team” territory.
Partnerships Matter
Replacing Isak isn’t just about numbers — it’s about chemistry.
Isak + Murphy → Most productive combo in the PL last year (7 assists).
Wissa + Mbeumo → One of the most dangerous duos, creating 29 chances and 6 assists for each other.
At Newcastle, Wissa could form something similar with Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon, or even new boy Nick Woltemade.
And don’t sleep on the Woltemade partnership. At Stuttgart, the 6'6" German worked best with a penalty-box predator beside him. Wissa fits that bill like a glove.
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More Than Just a Poacher
Isak’s artistry was dribbles, nutmegs, and screamers from 25 yards. Wissa’s game? Different, but not one-dimensional.
Carries (5m+): 244 (third among PL strikers, behind Isak and João Pedro).
Progressive carries: 119 (again, top three).
Carries leading to shots: 24 (second only to Liam Delap).
He’s not Isak the magician. But he’s direct, mobile, and gets on the end of chances — the kind Newcastle’s wide men love to whip in.
A Club Legend in One Shirt, A Blank Page in Another
Wissa leaves Brentford as their all-time Premier League top scorer (45 goals). He arrives in Newcastle with the number nine on his back and the weight of expectation on his shoulders.
Nobody replaces Alexander Isak like-for-like. That’s impossible. But Wissa doesn’t have to be a clone. He just has to keep scoring, keep moving, and give Eddie Howe’s team a reliable cutting edge.
High Ground takeaway: This isn’t a like-for-like swap. It’s a gamble, but a smart one. Newcastle swapped luxury for liquidity, cashed in on Isak, and reinvested in a Premier League-proven scorer who thrives off service.
He won’t dribble through five defenders. He won’t launch 30-yard rockets. But he’ll run the channels, finish the moves, and — with Murphy and Gordon firing balls across goal — might just make fans forget the £125m man sooner than expected.
Wissa isn’t the next Isak. He’s the first Wissa at St James’ Park. And that might be exactly what Newcastle need.
