Eddie Howe says he saw “flashes of real quality” from Yoane Wissa late in the season, but a stop-start first year—spent largely recovering from injury and then fighting for form—has left Newcastle waiting for the £55m striker to fully find his footing.
Yoane Wissa’s first year at Newcastle has been one long test of patience.
He arrived on Tyneside after Newcastle forked out £55m for a 29-year-old striker from Brentford. but his opening campaign barely got going. Wissa missed the first half of the season through injury. and once he was available to play he had to settle for a bit-part role. Even when he did feature, form and fitness held him back.
By the time the Premier League season ended, the numbers told their own story: Wissa started just four Premier League games in black and white and scored three goals in all competitions.
Eddie Howe, however, didn’t write him off. He said he had seen flashes of promise from the striker towards the back end of the campaign—something Newcastle will cling to as the club prepares for what Howe hopes is a better second season at St James’ Park.
Speaking about Wissa’s situation, Howe pointed to the end-of-season period where he believed Wissa’s quality could be glimpsed. “You saw with Yoane in a number of his appearances towards the end of the season, there’s flashes of real quality in his game,” Howe said.
He added the difficulty wasn’t simply about output—it was about getting Wissa enough uninterrupted time to build rhythm. “He hasn’t had a run of games. It’s been difficult to give him that, especially with Will Osula’s form towards the tail end of the season.”
That’s where the World Cup becomes more than a schedule item for Newcastle. Wissa is now set to watch his own momentum shift through the summer tournament, with Howe describing it as a showcase and an opportunity to reset his fitness and confidence.
Wissa’s World Cup campaign with DR Congo begins tonight, with DR Congo taking on Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal. Kick-off is at 6pm.
Howe believes playing in the summer tournament will do Wissa “the world of good. ” and hopes it gives him a head-start before returning to Newcastle for pre-season. The plan. in Howe’s view. is that a more consistent run—rather than piecemeal appearances—can turn the late-season glimpses of ability into something steadier.
“We’ll be watching on with real interest as his frontman kicks off his World Cup campaign for DR Congo against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal tonight (6pm),” Howe said.
He continued: “After a stop-start season. Howe believes playing in the summer tournament will do Wissa the world of good.” And he said the tournament can become the bridge into a more successful second campaign. “It will be a great showcase and opportunity for him to build his fitness and his confidence. to then come back to us and hopefully help us.”.
Wissa is also being treated as part of a wider Newcastle adjustment. Howe said the other signings from last summer haven’t yet fully shown what they are capable of, and he expects that to change—making next season a big one for several arrivals.
Anthony Elanga, who is at the World Cup with Sweden, is among those hoping to respond after a challenging first year. Nick Woltemade, another of last summer’s additions, has also had a “rollercoaster debut campaign” in the Premier League.
But Howe’s clearest patience was reserved for Wissa. “The guys we signed last summer haven’t quite fully shown what they’re capable of yet. In my opinion, they will. Next season will be a big season for them all,” he said.
In other words, Newcastle’s question isn’t whether Wissa can play—it’s whether he can finally play consistently enough, long enough, to convert those late-season flashes into a season that matches the £55m investment. Tonight, he has a stage to start building that momentum.
Yoane Wissa Eddie Howe Newcastle World Cup DR Congo Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo Will Osula Anthony Elanga Nick Woltemade
55m for a guy with only 3 goals… seems like a lot of money to me.
So he was injured and then not playing much and now Eddie Howe is backing him? Idk, I feel like Newcastle should’ve gotten someone ready day one. But hey if he’s about to “find his footing” then maybe.
Wait, is this the same Wissa that played for Brentford? Cause if he’s only starting 4 league games how is he even worth £55m lol. Also “World Cup boost” like the World Cup is gonna fix his hamstring or whatever? Sounds like cope.
I hate when they say “flashes of quality” like that’s supposed to calm fans down. If he can’t get a run of games, that’s on the coach too, not just injury. And Will Osula was scoring?? maybe that’s why Wissa wasn’t getting chances. Either way, I’m still side-eyeing the transfer fee.