The DR Congo striker was signed to be the lightning rod following a summer of chaos over Alexander Isak’s protracted move to Liverpool.
Although he always felt more like a direct replacement for another outgoing striker hero on Tyneside, Callum Wilson, it was Isak’s goals that needed replacing immediately.
Having scored 19 in the Premier League for Brentford last season, none of which were penalties, Wissa felt like a more natural heir for the main responsibility than Nick Woltemade, Newcastle’s other major forward signing, who was more of an unknown from the Bundesliga. He even shouldered the fabled number 9 shirt to prove it.
Yoane Wissa finally living Champions League dream
Such was the desperation for a seamless transition in attack, Newcastle spent £55m on Wissa on transfer deadline day.
That was a hefty outlay; the club had tried and failed to sign Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko before turning their attention his way. Given his age, 28 going on 29, and the fact he only had one year on his Bees contract, Newcastle initially budgeted £20m less than the eventual price.
To even come close to repaying that faith, in truth, he couldn’t afford much of a bedding in period. Then came his knee injury before he’d even stepped on the training pitch.
Four months went by and with every passing day, the deal looked worse. None of that was his fault, but he and Newcastle had been robbed of the very reason for his signing: instant impact. Even since his return, he’s needed to be managed slowly, nurtured back to strength.
Although he’d scored twice before facing PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night, key misses in the recent Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Manchester City and Sunday’s deflating stalemate at Premier League bottom side Wolves only increased anxiety and impatience around his long-term value.
There was pressure on his shoulders at St James’ Park. Victory would secure a play-off place and send Newcastle to Paris Saint-Germain for their final league phase match with a chance of securing a direct route into the last 16. Needing to see the real Wissa, a capacity crowd witnessed an early goal, and assist for Anthony Gordon and lots of energetic running in a 3-0 win. Harvey Barnes added a third to cap off a wonderful night
Finally, Newcastle understood what they had bought.
After the game, Wissa insisted there is much more to come from him, but can see signs of improvement in his own game.
“There’s more to come, for sure, because I’m not 100% yet, but I’m close to it,” he said. “I’m working hard to help the team. Tonight was really important because I showed the manager that I can play and I’m in a good place. Not the best place, but it’s coming.
"I’ve always felt at home, but I need time to adapt to my game and with the players, because I’m a different player. So I need to just adapt myself and now I feel at home now.”
It is the second time Newcastle have scored three goals at home in the Champions League this season, but a big moment for Wissa personally, after he missed victories over Benfica and Athletic Club in the autumn.
“It’s crazy. [This is] where I wanted to be. To play here in front of everyone - family, amazing fans - it’s been a top moment for me, one of the top three moments of my life. I enjoyed that.”
The dynamic between Wissa and Woltemade has been complex all season, and it has certainly contributed to Newcastle’s general inconsistency. Not only has the former been out for so long, but that has accentuated the difficulty in fitting Woltemade, a very different type of player, into the team.
For Newcastle, particularly last year which yielded a first domestic trophy in 70 years and a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League, Isak was a constant, reliable focal point. Nobody could replace him, but Wissa’s finishing ability and willingness to run off the shoulder in a similar style to the Swede, means at least there can be a sense of comfort and familiarity. It was back to the frenetic, controlled chaos which has made Newcastle so successful, and Wissa’s presence was a huge factor in that.
“The manager loves us to press high with intensity. The first goal, it was Joey [Joelinton], we won the ball really high. And the second one is just the pressing and then a mistake from the defender. But if you don't press, we don't win.
“We showed that if we press with high intensity, players can make mistakes and you just make sure that we score after that.”
In sweeping PSV aside, it finally felt like Newcastle saw what is really possible with their new number 9 up front. As Wissa says, there is more to come, but this could be the launching pad in he’s been waiting for.
