Yoane Wissa Returns to Training with Brentford Ahead of Crystal Palace Match
Yoane Wissa has returned to training with the Brentford squad, and head coach Keith Andrews has indicated that the striker may be available to face Crystal Palace this weekend.
The 28-year-old forward missed last weekend's Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest after training separately from the team, having expressed a desire to leave the club.
This week, Brentford rejected a second bid from Newcastle United, reportedly worth up to £40 million, for the DR Congo international.
Newcastle resumed negotiations with Brentford on Wednesday; however, sources have informed BBC Sport that their latest offer, which included a £35 million initial fee plus an additional £5 million in add-ons, fell short of Brentford's valuation.
Earlier in the week, Wissa removed all references to Brentford from his Instagram account. Nevertheless, Andrews stated that Wissa has a "decision to make" regarding his involvement at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Andrews commented, "He’s been training with the team. I’ll make a decision on the squad on Saturday. He’s been part of the group this week."
When asked if Wissa would remain with Brentford beyond the transfer window, Andrews replied, "He’s a Brentford player right now. My stance around Yoane all along is that I don’t want him to leave. I don’t want to lose a player of that quality, and that hasn’t really changed throughout the whole episode. So hopefully he is here in the next 10 or 12 days. That is what I would like."
Wissa's impressive tally of 19 goals in last season's Premier League has drawn interest from higher-tier clubs, with Newcastle manager Eddie Howe seeking to bolster his squad as the club returns to the Champions League this season.
Brentford had previously declined a bid from Newcastle worth up to £30 million.
BBC Sport first reported that Wissa had returned home early from the club's pre-season camp in Portugal in July, after which he threatened to refuse to play or train for the club unless they approved his transfer to the north-east of England.
Wissa anticipated that a move to Newcastle would be finalized this week following Brentford's completion of a club-record deal worth up to £42.5 million for Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth.
Brentford has already lost another forward, Bryan Mbeumo, to Manchester United this summer.