Brentford have rejected an improved £40 million bid from Newcastle United for Yoane Wissa, Afrosport reports.
The Magpies have reportedly offered an initial fee of £35m with a further £5m in add-ons but saw their approach rejected, as Brentford remain firm on their valuation of the DR Congo forward.
Newcastle have been scouring the market for a striker all summer to replace wantaway forward Alexander Isak but continue to fall short in their pursuit of top targets, with Hugo Ekitike moving to Liverpool and Benjamin Sesko joining Manchester United.
Negotiations were re-opened on Wednesday, though sources indicate that Newcastle’s latest offer is still below Brentford’s asking price.
Afrosport previously reported that a £25m bid was turned down on 22 July, with Wissa understood to be keen on a switch to St James’ Park.
Wissa scored 19 Premier League goals last season and is seen as a key figure for the Bees, but uncertainty over his future continues to grow.
Earlier this week, the 28-year-old fuelled speculation about his future after removing all Brentford-related posts from his Instagram in what appeared to be a move to force through his transfer.
Brentford have already endured a tough summer, losing long-serving manager Thomas Frank to Tottenham Hotspur and forward Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United. They have since signed Burkina Faso international Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth, a move which Wissa reportedly hoped would pave the way for his exit.
He continues to be away from the team and missed the 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest in their season opener on Sunday. Next up for the Bees is a home game against Aston Villa at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.
