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Yoane Wissa could make his Newcastle United debut against Wolves on Saturday.
Yoane Wissa stood on the cusp of realising a Premier League dream.
However, in July 2021, just a month prior to his transfer from Lorient to Brentford, that dream was almost shattered, turning into a nightmare.
Wissa suffered an assault at his residence involving the use of acid, which was thrown in his face. The incident jeopardized his sight and threatened to end his professional career.
Subsequently, a woman was convicted for the attack, as well as for attempting to kidnap his daughter, and received an 18-year prison sentence., external , external
The trauma fueled Wissa’s determination.
This resolve was evident when Christophe Pelissier, then manager of Lorient, visited Wissa in the hospital just a day after the attack.
“Despite the physical and psychological impact, Yoane swiftly demonstrated his commitment to success,” Pelissier stated.
“His unwavering will and refusal to surrender were truly remarkable.”
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This determination has been a hallmark of Wissa’s career.
In 2019, he was playing before crowds of fewer than 3,000 at Chambly in the French second division.
Now, following a £55m move from Brentford to Newcastle United, he is poised to compete against Barcelona in the Champions League next week.
His ascent comes as no great surprise to Pierre-Yves Hamel, Wissa’s former teammate at Lorient.
“Following the attack, he exhibited no complaints,” Hamel said. “He immediately focused on moving forward, and his current success is a well-deserved reward for his efforts.”
Hamel added, “Once Yoane sets his mind on something, he dedicates himself fully to achieving it, regardless of the time it takes.”
These words now carry even greater weight.
Wissa was so determined to join Newcastle that he removed all association with Brentford from his Instagram profile several weeks ago.
In a statement released last month, Wissa urged Brentford to “honour their commitment” to allow him to depart and accused the club of “unjustifiably obstructing his path.”
Comparisons were drawn with another striker seeking to leave their club – Wissa, like Alexander Isak, did not participate in any of his team’s opening three matches of the season.
Just as Newcastle fans were displeased with Isak’s method of pushing for a move to Liverpool, following his own controversial social media post, Brentford supporters were disappointed with Wissa’s conduct in attempting to force a transfer to St James’ Park.
Ian Westbrook, BBC Sport’s Brentford fan writer, emphasized that supporters are “not vindictive” towards those who “leave appropriately” because they acknowledge that their team “sell players to bigger clubs at the right moment.”
The season-ticket holder suggested that former players Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard, as well as ex-manager Thomas Frank, will receive warm welcomes upon their return to the Gtech Community Stadium following moves made over the summer.
However, the reception for Wissa will be different.
“His legacy has been tarnished,” Westbrook said. “Few players have treated Brentford in this manner.”
Wissa has since addressed the circumstances surrounding his departure.
In an interview with Newcastle’s in-house media team, he insisted that “it was always respectful with all of them so that’s why I kept myself fit, training, going to see the guys, being around every single day and just waiting for the right moment to move”.
Phil Giles, Brentford’s director of football, stated that Wissa was an “infectious character” who he “liked a lot” while separating the forward’s four years with the club from the circumstances of his departure.
Newcastle certainly conducted their due diligence on Wissa.
Head coach Eddie Howe targeted players who were “desperate” to join the club, particularly after strikers Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko, and Joao Pedro opted for other destinations, and the DR Congo international fit the profile.
Significantly, Newcastle returned with a third and final bid on deadline day, rather than pursuing alternatives.
This marked a shift in transfer policy. In fact, since Howe’s first summer in charge in 2022, Newcastle had not signed an outfield player over the age of 25.
Yet, at 29 years old, Wissa appears to be a late bloomer rather than someone nearing the end of their career.
Wissa’s year-on-year improvement led to him scoring more non-penalty goals (19) than any other Premier League player last season.
Wissa’s goal-scoring record, adaptability, and off-the-ball work ethic made him an attractive prospect for Newcastle, who only had one player reach double figures last season.
That player was Isak.
Now, it will be up to Wissa, the club’s number nine, and record signing Nick Woltemade, to fill the void left by the Swede.
And Julien Laporte suggested there is more to come from his former Lorient team-mate.
“I’m proud to have played with someone like Yoane because he’s had a great career,” he added. “In my opinion, it’s not finished.”
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