Alexander Isak has every right to want to leave Newcastle United, but the striker himself has to be blamed for his part in what is becoming a damaging saga.
Isak has told Newcastle United he wants to leave this summer, with Liverpool reportedly seen as his most likely destination if the club’s owners decide to sell.
There’s no suggestion PIF will cash in on the forward, but clearly, they are under a huge amount of pressure from the player and his agents.
While it’s disappointing to hear that Newcastle’s best player wants to go, he can hardly be blamed for that.
Isak wanted PIF to show more ambition at Newcastle and he’s not wrong to demand that. A new contract has not been forthcoming despite his fine form, while continents appear to drift faster than Newcastle’s decision-making at executive level.
There are still no new updates on a new sporting director, CEO, training ground or stadium. With that in mind, it’s hardly much of a surprise that a player that talented might be tempted to leave, particularly when there are so many riches on offer elsewhere.
Isak himself, however, does not come out of this saga looking good.
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Alexander Isak is letting Newcastle United fans down
There are ways of going about things. The fact that Isak wants to go is not the issue, even if it is painful for supporters.
Still, the player has three years on his contract. Surely the only way Newcastle sell him is if Isak himself forces the issue, which his camp appear to be doing.
The fact that so many outlets are confidently reporting that Isak has asked to go would suggest there’s been some kind of communication behind the scenes. Whether that’s from the club themselves or Isak’s representatives is unclear.
Indeed, Craig Hope of The Daily Mail even suggested there was a feeling that Isak started to check out of life at Newcastle towards the end of last season. If correct, that does not cover the player in glory.
“I think amongst some that once that Carabao Cup victory, that legendary status was secured, he came off it slightly,” said Hope.
“Now, he continued to score goals, he took his tally to 27 and there were some important goals amidst that.
“But on the second last weekend of the season down at Arsenal, a huge and key game – I was there.
“Alexander Isak didn’t get off the bus. We didn’t know that, we thought he was there with the squad in London. That’s because he was and he reported muscle fatigue on the morning of the game and he didn’t play.
“There was a feeling among some that, at that point, he just started to check out.”
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Newcastle are coming off the best season in living memory, and Isak was a huge part of that. Less than a month before they look to build on that, a rather ugly saga is playing out for all the world to see.
Wanting to go is one thing, but risking ruining the season ahead for the rest of the squad and the supporters is an entirely different matter.
Now, the Newcastle United owners are in an impossible position. Whatever you think about their decision-making of late, they’ve now got to make perhaps their most important on-field call since the takeover.
Do they sell arguably Europe’s best forward deep into a summer transfer window and lose face after insisting he’s not for sale? Or do they keep a potentially unhappy player for another season? Both outcomes have just as many negatives as they do positives.
Isak is well within his rights to want to leave Newcastle. Newcastle are well within their rights to keep Isak. It will be fascinating to see who blinks first.
Newcastle United surely face major backlash if they sell Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak is not bigger than Newcastle United. But this issue might just be bigger than Alexander Isak.
If Newcastle are effectively bullied into selling a player they’ve constantly stressed simply isn’t going anywhere, what does that say to the rest of the squad?
It’s not hard to imagine the likes of Tino Livramento, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali getting compelling offers to leave at some point, whether that’s now or next summer.
If they and their representatives know that Newcastle can be pushed around despite being in a strong contractual position, supporters could be in this situation once again.
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