Alexander Isak has claimed that “promises were broken and trust is lost”
Alexander the Great.
Those words were splashed across the banner as Newcastle United fans saluted their talisman at St James’ Park nine months ago.
Yet that night feels like a distant memory.
Isak remains determined to join Liverpool and the striker claimed that “promises were broken and trust is lost” in an explosive statement.
Newcastle fired back just a few hours later and made it clear that “no commitment has ever been made that Alex can leave this summer.”
So what has irked Isak? What effect has the saga had on the dressing room? And can the striker really be reintegrated?
The deal that never was
Broken promises?
This appeared to be a cryptic reference from Isak to the prospect of talks being held over a new contract last summer.
Isak, however, still had four years to run on his deal at the time and discussions were ultimately postponed due to the club’s Profit and Sustainability (PSR) concerns.
Newcastle narrowly avoided a breach of the regulations in June, 2024 following the sales of Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to Nottingham Forest and Brighton respectively.
Newcastle not only had to be careful in the transfer market thereafter but, also, when it came to dishing out a series of lucrative new contracts, particularly one that would make Isak the club’s highest earner.
Newcastle, for context, have a tight wage structure and seven Premier League clubs spent more on salaries in clubs’ most recent set of published accounts.
After a such a scare with PSR, sporting director Paul Mitchell, who has since left the club, vowed that “we need to make sure that we don’t end up back there any time soon”.
This had a knock-on effect on Isak following a period of huge change at boardroom level after the departures of former sporting director Dan Ashworth and owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi.
Newcastle would go on to hand fresh terms to Anthony Gordon, in October, 2024, but the club’s hierarchy repeatedly stressed Isak’s situation would be revisited this summer.
However, rather than wanting to sign a new deal, Isak has instead wanted out.
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Tight-knit group rallies
Someone was missing as the Newcastle squad jetted off to the Far East last month.
And his absence was felt.
Not only was Isak a popular figure off the field – the Swede had long been a pivotal player on it, too.
In fact, Newcastle have been unable to win any of their last six Premier League games without Isak, failing to score in each of their last four despite having 75 shots (9.4 xG) across those six matches.
No wonder morale took an initial hit – but a tight-knit group have since rallied.
Newcastle put in a committed display without Isak against Aston Villa on the opening day and there is a strong belief within the dressing room that that this saga could now even bring them closer together.
Isak previously thrived in such a set-up, of course, and it is worth noting that the striker has a number of friends at the club, including captain Bruno Guimaraes.
A photograph posted on Bruno’s social media account of the midfielder proudly wearing a Newcastle shirt was seized upon – just minutes after Isak’s statement dropped – but this was not a response to his team-mate’s incendiary words.
“People are creating a situation where none exists,” a source said.
‘Gone about it in the wrong way’
There has also been an understanding within the club that a player’s career is short.
Isak may only be turning 26 next month, but the striker wants to win the Premier League and the Champions League.
Although those at the very top at Newcastle share those ultimate ambitions, it will take the club time to get there in a world of Profit and Sustainability (PSR).
Liverpool, for context, spent more on wages (£386.1m) than Newcastle generated in revenue (£320.3m) in the clubs’ most recently published accounts from 2023-24.
Les Ferdinand “totally gets” Isak’s desire to want to play for the champions if that is “something that attracts you”.
But the hugely popular Newcastle number nine – who scored 50 goals in his two seasons with the Magpies – stressed Isak had “gone about it in the wrong way”.
“If he had gone about it in the right way, perhaps, he would have left still being a hero of the football club,” Ferdinand said. “There’s a sour taste about the way he has done it after all his good work.
“That’s the shame in all of this. He may go on and earn double what he’s earning now and win loads of trophies and say, ‘I made the right decision’. But, wherever you go, you want your legacy to be one of doing your best and leaving in the right way.
“I don’t think football holds that tradition anymore. When a player decides he wants to go and a club that gets his interest comes in, it’s ‘let’s down tools’.”
Could Isak be reintegrated?
Newcastle have seen it from both sides, of course.
Just as Isak is training away from the group on Tyneside, Newcastle target Yoane Wissa previously had a stint working on his own at Brentford.
Newcastle identified Wissa as a potential replacement for Callum Wilson, who left following the expiry of his contract last month, and the club have had a fresh bid turned down for the DR Congo international.
Trying to sign one quality frontman has proved difficult enough for Newcastle – let alone an additional centre-forward like Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko or Joao Pedro, who chose to move elsewhere.
Recruiting two heavyweight strikers in the final days of the window feels a huge ask, but there is also something far bigger at play here, too.
What sort of precedent would it set if Newcastle were to meekly wave off a player with three years left on his contract, especially to the champions?
Newcastle have instead held firm – rejecting a £110m bid earlier this month – and the club do not foresee the “conditions of sale” being met before the window shuts on 1 September.
If that proves to be the case, could there really be a way back for Isak after the away end called the 25-year-old”greedy” and sang about him “not caring about us” at Villa Park last week?
Thomas Concannon, a member of the Wor Flags group, who helped put together the Alexander the Great tribute display last season, has been left “bewildered” by Isak going “completely nuclear”.
But the Geordie, like the club, has not closed the door on the Swede being reintegrated.
“I don’t think Newcastle are going to be able to find any suitable replacement at this stage,” he added. “If anything, that’s where Isak’s frustration should be because there was a possible suitable replacement [Ekitike], but Liverpool bought him instead.
“I do think there is a way back because, ultimately, he has to play football. If he scored a few big goals, I think some would be willing to forgive.
“He has burned bridges, but my personal opinion is if he scores some big goals and starts playing well again, that would go a long way.”
