Ex-England striker Peter Crouch has noticed a familiar resemblance to his own playing career after Newcastle secured the arrivals of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.
Magpies boss Eddie Howe finally got his man in Wissa following Alexander Isak’s switch to Liverpool on a dramatic transfer deadline day.
The 28-year-old Brentford striker, a DR Congo international born in France, has signed for Newcastle for a fee believed to rise to £55m, and will take on the club’s legendary number nine jersey.
Wissa’s push to exit Brentford mirrored Isak’s approach in forcing a move, but either way, Howe now has a brand-new frontline pairing to call upon.
With the addition of German forward Woltemade, who joined over the weekend, Howe suddenly has plenty of attacking depth and the freedom to experiment with fresh shapes – although supporters must wait until after the international break to watch the duo debut.
“I’m delighted to sign for one of the biggest clubs in England,” Wissa said while proudly donning Alan Shearer’s famous number nine shirt on Monday.
“I’m hugely excited to wear the black and white. I believe in my ability, I’ve got ambitions, and I’ll give everything to achieve them. I can’t wait to get going.”
Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike had originally been targeted to partner Isak in a two-man attack, but whether Howe repeats that blueprint with Woltemade and Wissa remains to be seen.
What’s certain is that the two strikers bring contrasting qualities, with Woltemade’s towering 6ft 6in frame providing a target for wingers like Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga, while Wissa’s tireless running and knack for popping up in the right spots were shown in his link-ups with Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney.
Crouch, who built a famous partnership with Jermain Defoe, reacted on X at talk of Newcastle’s latest duo becoming a modern “little and large” strikeforce.
Crouch himself stood at 6ft 7in, making him slightly taller than Woltemade, who, like him, carries the well-worn tag of having “good feet for a big man.”
Wissa, meanwhile, is just two inches taller than the 5ft 7in Defoe. And if he manages to come anywhere close to matching the Spurs and Sunderland icon’s record of 156 Premier League goals, Newcastle fans will have no issues with the money spent.
