Despite our spirited, promising performance in Monday’s defeat against Liverpool, there’s still only one player being talked about in the media following the game.
Alexander Isak was of course absent from the squad for the game, as the Reds continue to flirt with the idea of signing the Swede, and Isak still set on completing a ‘dream’ move to Anfield.
And despite our owners rightfully sticking to their guns and insisting that Isak is going nowhere this summer, this hasn’t stopped rumours circulating that we will part ways with our primary striker this late in the window.
It’s forced Jamie Reuben and a PIF delegation to meet with Isak to outline his options and request he return to train with the squad, but it looks like we haven’t got the answer we may have been hoping for…
Isak remains adamant on Anfield move
According to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, Isak is still insisting that he wants to move to Liverpool this summer, with it looking like Reuben and the PIF’s efforts haven’t succeeded so far.
The stance from the owners hasn’t changed: it will take a bid of around £150m for Isak to be sold, and we must have two strikers brought in already to facilitate any sort of move for Isak.
And considering our recent luck with top striker targets, these sale conditions almost certainly won’t be met any time soon.
Because our stance hasn’t changed, this will no doubt keep Isak away from the first team squad until at least the close of the transfer window, all but confirming that he won’t lead the line against Leeds United on Saturday.
Why haven’t Liverpool upped their bid yet?
The most frustrating part of the ongoing Isak saga has been how lightly Liverpool have publicly moved for the striker.
So far, only a bid of around £110m has been submitted to us: below what Arne Slot’s side spent to sign Florian Wirtz earlier this window.
The bid was met with great disgust and offence by us, and raised questions over whether it was a legitimate valuation or a method to simply unsettle Isak even further when we inevitably rejected it.
For the last fortnight we’ve been anticipating another bid, to which Edwards comments “It is understood Liverpool are unwilling to make another offer if there is no hope of it being accepted and will not pay anything close to Newcastle’s £150m asking price.”
With just a few days to go until the end of the window, it’s looking increasingly likely no sufficient bid will come – which will probably cause even more frustration for all parties on Tyneside after the summer of chaos that we’ve seen unfold.
Step 1: Stop talking to Isak for a week. Further talks only on Sept 2nd onwards.
Step 2: Don’t sell to Liverpool. Force them to buy someone else this window.
Step 3: Grit your teeth & spend extra on JSL NOW as he’s still young enough to pay it back and can start at Leeds. Wait to get Wissa at end of window.
Step 4: If Isak’s not integrated with the squad till Jan, look to sell him at correct price (£160-180m) before Jun 30th. If he is, give him a new contract at £220k/wk or so with a £200m buyout clause with a special 10% lower price for 1 dream club of his (guessing it’ll be Real Madrid or Barcelona then not Liverpool).
Anything else that’s done now will likely be counter productive in some way.
P(Quote)
Absolutely under NO circumstances should we offer Isak a new contract!!.
Make it public that we will sell him for £150m cash this summer or consider a cash plus player deal that would suit us (the amount of cash to be negotiated based on the value of the player included in the deal)
Same terms in Jan with the cash only amount dropping to £130m.
Next summer will be £100m.
But in the meantime Isak will see out his current contract with NO pay increase – until next summer. If he then decides he wants to stay at NUFC – then and only then would I increase his wages and add the £150m clause to that contract again.
He has done nothing to warrant a pay increase this summer – all his good work last season has been out done with his nonsense this summer.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Hope he does his ACL the moment he leaves the club. Absolute shithouse.
Fawcey(Quote)
The thing I’ll never understand about this drama is the timing..
If your isak why would you stay quiet while liverpool go and sign ekitike. Why not come out a day after the initial enquiry and make your feelings known. How did isak know they could afford both? Unless someone at liverpool is telling him to keep quiet until the ekitike signing is complete. I dunno it could be my twisted brain. I don’t care if we sell him anymore just not to liverpool get him shipped abroad for a discount. The drama ends and we don’t strengthen a team who were competing with.
Shhhhh(Quote)
Let the treacherous little rat rot.
Bonnylad(Quote)
In my opinion Isak and his agent have made a complete shambles of this! He has been very juvenile in the way this has been handled by him. As a fan I’m very sad to see all this unfolding. I really don’t understand where he is coming from – I feel certain the club could have resolved this situation in a positive way had they been given the chance to.
John Jeffrey(Quote)
I know there’s probably limited kinds of clauses in contracts but it would be great if we only sell to Liverpool if a clause were inserted in which Isak has to eat a double cheeseburger five times a week for the next two years?
Just a thought and I’m not sure how it would be enforced!
By the way, my American wife thinks that Arne Slot looks like an American construction worker, probably complete with *** cleavage and all…
Adam(Quote)
Did Liverpool have any serious intentions of signing the rat,they put in an offer that they new would be rejected. But they still achieved their real intentions of upsetting the rat
Bonnylad(Quote)
Stick him in the reserves and get then to kick the **** out of him. He will start faking injuries next. Seems to be one of those types that doesn’t admit things got out of hand. He won’t play for us again. All nexcastle need to do is make a deal for next June before psr window closes. It probably doesn’t make much difference if we sell him for 100m next year
Shane Henry(Quote)
It ain’t gonna end well for Isak. He has done immense damage. He will pay for it. The law of karma says so. I think the kid has danced with the devil and is going to get burned. His agent looks like he is carrying the same shame as Paul Mitchell – no wonder they didn’t get on – must have been like looking in the mirror; – can’t believe that Isak is prepared to insult our entire fan base, his team mates, the entire coaching staff and the PIF, yet is entirely under the spell of this shabby middleman. Mental! Ain’t gonna end well.
LippySchtook(Quote)
Can’t help but see him gone before end of window.
GR(Quote)
Surely Isak is in breach of contract, therefore suspend all wages. Make him train with under 16s, it’s world cup year, if Isak ain’t playing Sweden would be nuts to pick a player who ain’t played since end of last season. PIF can afford to let him rot !
Doug Tegart(Quote)
No more emotions for the rat.
1. Give him fines on his weekly wages (140K) every week he refuses to play for the team
2. Reject any offers less than 150M for the rat
3. No more talks with the rat, just fine him for not playing, let him come and talk.
J(Quote)
Do not let the rat train with any of our junior teams, he will only intoxicate them
J(Quote)
Wait until sept 1st if he has not put in a transfer request thus losing signing on snd bonus fees and Liverpool pay the money.., then if he still refuses to play fine him the two weeks wages every time he refuses and consider legal action for breach of contract
Bottom line is after sept 1st the boot will be on the other foot and isak faces jeopardy regarding his income and contract
Mike(Quote)
Please sort it before too much damage is done to the team who are giving everything they have got so far as was very evident esp v Liv.P.
Michael(Quote)