Alexander Isak
The future of Alexander Isak at Newcastle United has been a topic of intense speculation throughout the summer transfer window. The Swedish striker’s situation became more uncertain after he released a statement indicating a breakdown in trust with the club. As Isak remains absent from Eddie Howe’s squad and has yet to feature for the Magpies this season, discussions continue over whether he will remain on Tyneside or move to Liverpool. Former football professionals have weighed in on the situation, offering their insights into the ongoing saga.
Alan Shearer said: “It’s a sad situation. I was flabbergasted at his statement. He felt, or his representatives felt, it was best putting something out. But that was chucking petrol on the fire. It was just bizarre, to say that someone had agreed [to let him leave in the summer] verbally, with him or his agent. You’re in football for goodness’ sake. I would have a look at the agent, if I was him, to say why on Earth are you advising me to sign, or letting me sign, a six-year contract without any get-out clause? That’s what I’d be saying – you need something in writing. When you’re in a strong position, as he was, when they were paying sixty-odd million pound for him, on a six-year deal, and there’s no get-out clause, you all know as well as I do, we’ve all been in the game long enough, you can’t just accept [verbal promises]. And by the way, who was it [that made the promise]? What did they say? And when did they say it? That would be the next questions… but you can’t just say, okay, at the end of the next season then we might perhaps agree to let you go verbally. Football doesn’t work like that.”
Jamie Carragher wrote: “The Alexander Isak transfer saga has the potential to define Newcastle United and Liverpool’s season. Today, it is Eddie Howe’s crisis. It could be Arne Slot’s soon. Time is running out for the clubs to secure the firepower needed. If Isak is not a Liverpool player early next week, he and Slot must accept that it is not going to happen in this transfer window. For all the praise of how Liverpool have conducted their business this summer – and no one is more admiring than me – the next few days are crucial to their title defence. Slot will not defend the crown with only three out-and-out attackers of Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike. They cannot carry the goalscoring burden without at least one more, preferably two, top-class operators across the front line, especially as Salah will be on Africa Cup of Nations duty in December. Now it is carnage. There is a big difference between the attitude of the hardcore, travelling supporters to the social media masses who give the impression they will change their mind with the weather. Even if he stays, it could be weeks or months before he is playing. Isak’s subsequent incendiary statement felt like an act of desperation to initiate a divorce. Howe is caught in the middle, rightly earning sympathy as he has built a fine side ready to take the next step.”
Troy Deeney wrote: “How they should have played it is how I played it with my agent when I was pushing to move from Walsall to Watford back in the summer of 2010. In private, my agent said to me, ‘You’re going to have to kick up a fuss here. You’re going back to training and you’ll do all of the running, but as soon as a ball is involved, you’re going to have to ruin sessions, you’re going to have to kick balls away. But importantly, you can’t let anyone on the outside know what’s going on’. It was really hard, you would go home feeling guilty, being a d*** in training for no reason, burning bridges for people you quite like. But you’ve just got to remember who you’re doing it for: yourself. That’s how Isak will be feeling. This is a career-changing, career-defining move. You’re going from Newcastle to one of the biggest clubs in world football in Liverpool, where you are probably going to win major titles. But Isak hasn’t gone about it the smart way, and the agent’s been quite lazy in that regard, making big mistakes. He’s making his player look like he’s a troublemaker because he’s not getting it done. He should have said to Isak straight away: ‘Go into work, tick over, do all the runs, do all of that so you’re fit, but as soon as the ball is introduced, claim your back hurts and you go inside.’ If it was done like that, then the messaging is very different. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe can then go to the media and say, “He is training but he’s got a bit of an injury issue”. You can then let people speculate, but they can’t deny that you’re there. Now, I know these are very different circumstances in terms of the size of the clubs involved, but the principles still apply. You have to be smart in the way you go about stuff like this.”
The situation surrounding Alexander Isak’s potential transfer has drawn significant attention, with opinions varying on the best course of action. Alan Shearer and Jamie Carragher have expressed concerns over the handling of Isak’s contract and the implications for both Newcastle and Liverpool. Meanwhile, Troy Deeney has suggested a more disruptive approach could have been employed to force a move. As the transfer window nears its conclusion, the resolution of Isak’s future remains uncertain, leaving both clubs and fans in anticipation.
About The Author
