It’s been the story of the summer so far, and on Tuesday, Isak’s unexpected fallout with Newcastle United took another turn, with the Sweden international releasing a statement that claimed the “relationship can’t continue,” alluding to “broken promises.”
The club were bullish in their response, adamant that Isak won’t be sold this summer, saying: “As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired.”
Newcastle left the door open to a potential return to the fold for Isak, however unlikely that may seem at the moment, adding: “This is a proud football club with proud traditions and we strive to retain our family feel. Alex remains part of our family and will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his teammates.”
Several reports have suggested that Liverpool had a £120 million bid turned down earlier in the window, and Isak now has his heart set on a move to the Premier League champions, who signed striker Hugo Ekiteke ahead of Newcastle. So, what happens next?
The ball is in Liverpool’s court
Newcastle have been clear about what needs to happen to get a deal done for Isak. If Liverpool put in a bid of £150 million for the striker, then it will get accepted, and everyone can move on from all the drama.
It would be the second time this summer that Liverpool break the British transfer record, following the £116 million signing of Florian Wirtz, if they manage to pull the deal off in time, a stark contrast to the more restrained business last summer.
Liverpool have already spent a massive £320 million so far, but have recouped around £220m from player sales, with the likes of Harvey Elliott and Konstantinos Tsimikas both still likely to leave before the window slams shut.
Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk are both pushing for the club to sign a new striker, with the captain publicly urging Liverpool to get one across the line following their Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace, that doesn’t mean it’ll happen, however.
Liverpool are understood to be reluctant to make another bid for Isak, knowing that just because he has thrown his toys out of the pram doesn’t mean that a deal will happen. The Reds have been here before, with Luis Saurez and Philippe Coutinho, with neither getting the moves they wanted at the time.
What are these “broken promises”?
Well, Isak doesn’t elaborate further than that in his statement, but it has been suggested that a new contract was promised in 2024, which ultimately fell through due to the club’s issues with PSR and their decision to ensure such problems never arise again.
Newcastle have offered Isak several deals since he started agitating for a move, but the striker continues to turn them down, with the club insisting no “commitment has ever been made by a club official” that he can leave the club this summer.
It’s been a nightmare summer for Newcastle
Newcastle would have needed to sign a new striker regardless of what happened with Isak this summer following the departure of Callum Wilson and it’s not been for the want of trying.
Joao Pedro of Brighton was their top target, but he ended up joining Chelsea, while an ambitious move for Hugo Ekitike was hijacked by Liverpool. Newcastle then turned their attention to Benjamin Sesko, only for the giant Slovenian to end up at Man United.
Yoane Wissa is the new number one target, but Brentford are reluctant to sell having already lost Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard, and manager Thomas Frank, turning down Newcastle’s £40 million bid on Wednesday.
Funnily enough, Wissa has similarly kicked off, deleting all mention of Brentford from his Instagram and reportedly going on strike in order to push through a move to Eddie Howe’s side. Swings and roundabouts, eh?
How has Alexander Isak’s behaviour affected his teammates?
Every single Newcastle press conference held by Howe and his players has been driven by the narrative surrounding Isak’s situation. Speaking after their 0-0 draw with fellow Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa, Anthony Gordon and Dan Burn mentioned their “team spirit” and “togetherness.”
Their comments felt more like a press release, while Newcastle fans were quick to notice Bruno Guimaraes, the club captain, posting a captionless photo of himself in a black-and-white club shirt on social media a few minutes after Isak’s statement dropped, although it remains to be seen whether they were related.
Isak has been a key player and Newcastle thanks to his performances on the pitch. Having a striker who ended last season with 23 Premier League goals kick off in the manner he has will undoubtedly have an impact, whether they’re willing to admit it or not.
Verdict
With just eleven days remaining in the summer transfer window, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Newcastle’s “conditions” will be met. Not only would they have to sign two strikers, with one of them being ‘elite’, Liverpool would have to make a £150m offer.
Isak will probably have to eat some humble pie and remain at St James’ Park for the season. What happens next summer? Well, that’s a completely different story.