The key questions on Isak’s future after another twist

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The saga of the summer has taken another twist.

Newcastle forward Alexander Isak put out an explosive statement on Tuesday night regarding his transfer stand-off – saying his future with the Magpies “cannot continue” over “broken promises” made by the club.

This is after Liverpool saw a £110m bid rejected by Newcastle earlier this summer.

Isak has not yet featured for Eddie Howe’s side in matches since Newcastle returned to pre-season duty. He has been spotted at the club’s training ground but has trained away from the first team, who have started the new Premier League season.

So have Isak’s latest comments put the Liverpool move back on? If a deal does not happen, is there any way back for Isak at Newcastle this season? And crucially, how big a few weeks is this in the context of the Premier League title?

Sky Sports answers all the key questions below – as we all start deliberating: what is next?

What are the ‘broken promises’ Isak is talking about?

Sky Sports News’ Keith Downie:

There is a blurring of the lines about this. In his statement, Isak’s section was somewhat ambiguous regarding the “broken promises” that have been reneged on. Newcastle have clarified in their own statement they have not communicated any promise to Isak about him leaving the club.

However, it is our understanding that Isak’s claims of broken promises relate to a contract renewal that was discussed with the club. He claims he was promised a new deal which he has wanted for the last 18 months – and that hasn’t materialised.

Isak feels he wants a contract – with higher wages – that reflects his status as one of the top Premier League strikers.

How have Newcastle responded to the news?

Sky Sports News’ Keith Downie:

Newcastle have been angered by what Isak said on his social media last night – and they will dig their heels in.

Newcastle are in a strong position, which is what they were saying in their club statement. Isak has three years left on that existing six-year contract that he signed. And they remain very calm on the situation despite the outside noise.

This is a situation where Newcastle have tried this summer to try and find a replacement, to allow Isak to then leave.

They tried to sign Hugo Ekitike, who would have been a like-for-like replacement. They tried to sign Benjamin Sesko, who would have been a like-for-like replacement. And they’ve got right down to the nitty-gritty in both those deals and lost out, ironically, to Liverpool and then to Manchester United respectively.

Neither of these players were being bought to play alongside Isak, they were bought to facilitate Isak’s move away. And either of those deals would have allowed Isak to join Liverpool – but the failure to get Ekitike or Sesko has left Newcastle in a difficult situation.

Newcastle feel that they have scoured the market but there is now a private resignation that there is no one else left for them to pursue as a top target, with just under two weeks of the window left.

Right now, Newcastle need Isak. And it feels very much like in this current climate, Isak will remain a Newcastle player beyond the end of the transfer window.

What will be really interesting will be if and when Isak returns to the pitch wearing black and white stripes. Newcastle fans called him a “greedy b******” from the stands during Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Aston Villa – a match which showcased how much Newcastle need him.

What would it take for Newcastle to sell Isak?

Sky Sports News’ Keith Downie:

Newcastle spoke last night about the conditions of a sale. There were two conditions.

One, Newcastle’s valuation of the player.

That valuation is £150m. But they would probably do a deal for a little bit less than that, though Liverpool’s £110m offer that landed a few weeks ago is way short. So if Liverpool were to really seriously want Isak, they would have to come to the table with a higher bid.

The second is that Newcastle need to find a replacement.

They’ve been trying to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford. But he’s seen as the Callum Wilson replacement rather than the Isak replacement. So they’re actually even struggling to bring in a replacement for Wilson, who left on a free contract and has joined West Ham.

So Isak would be allowed to go if:

• Newcastle were able to find a new ‘gem’ striker signing from somewhere
• They also bring in Wissa, with Newcastle expected to go into Brentford with a higher bid in the coming days
• Liverpool come to the table with a significantly higher bid.

Would a deal for Wissa be enough for an Isak sale?

Sky Sports News’ Keith Downie:

If Newcastle sign two strikers between now and the end of the window – and that’s unlikely in the time left, which Newcastle alluded to in their statement – then Isak is likely to go.

But if they get one striker, such as Wissa, who they have made a new bid for, and Liverpool make an eye-watering offer for Isak – of around £130m to £135m – then Newcastle might have a big decision to make.

There is an outside chance of Isak’s departure happening in those circumstances. But it would leave Newcastle very light on striker reinforcements.

It’s going to be a very tense last couple of weeks, it feels like a line in the sand was drawn from both parties last night, and Newcastle’s stance on the issue has hardened on the back of Isak’s statements. There is a feeling that Isak has done himself no favours by making that statement.

Does player power work?

Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:

There is a stalemate in this saga: a player who does not want to play anymore and a club that does not want to sell him. Both are trying to achieve their aims at any cost.

There have been plenty of incidents in the past where players have dug their heels in, refused to train in the hope of getting a move. See Dimitar Berbatov, who missed the start of Spurs’ season in 2008/09 to get a move to Manchester United.

There was even one earlier this summer in the form of Viktor Gyokeres, who did not turn up to the start of Sporting CP’s pre-season training.

Noises emerged of a broken agreement about his value between the player and the club – with Gyokeres winning that battle by getting a £63.5m move to Arsenal.

Has the club ever won the battle?

Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:

There have been some high-profile instances where the club have stayed resilient and won in the face of player power. In 2021, Harry Kane expressed his desire to leave Tottenham and did not even show up for the first day of pre-season training, for which he was fined.

Like Isak’s situation, City had put in a £100m bid for Kane – who also had three years left on his contract.

And while Spurs looked for centre forward replacements in the window, they stood firm and ended up keeping Kane after bids kept on being rejected. The England captain would end up leaving two years later for that same £100m fee to Bayern Munich.

There was another incident where the club won out in Carlos Tevez at Manchester City. In September 2011, the Argentine refused to come off the bench against Bayern Munich and manager Roberto Mancini insisted Tevez was “finished” at the club.

After refusing to apologise and receiving multiple fines from City over breaches of contract, Tevez returned to Argentina without permission from the club. Months went by without a resolution but City rejected approaches from AC Milan, Inter Milan and Paris Saint-Germain for Tevez in the January transfer window.

Two weeks after the transfer deadline, Tevez returned to City and then apologised for his conduct. He was back in Mancini’s team by March and then helped them to a first Premier League title that season.

Do Liverpool still want Isak after this?

Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:

There is a growing feeling among the wider public that Isak’s behaviour is unacceptable and this could even impact fan sentiment on Merseyside.

However, speaking to Sky Sports News this week, Jamie Carragher felt Isak’s tactics would be unlikely to lead to Liverpool’s interest being affected.

“They won’t, whether we think they should or shouldn’t,” he said, before making it clear he didn’t agree with the approach.

“I don’t think when you have a club paying your wages and supporters paying to watch you play you should refuse to play or train. I don’t think that’s acceptable.”

Do Liverpool need a striker?

Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:

Liverpool have already been busy in the transfer market this summer, making significant changes in the forward positions. The acquisitions of Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz have encouraged supporters but there have also been some high-profile departures.

Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz have been sold, while, of course, Diogo Jota tragically passed away at the start of July. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Arne Slot argued that Liverpool were still short up front. “We need to have one more attacker,” he said.

Isak’s firepower would be an asset for any team and Liverpool believe that he could be a difference maker. They won the Premier League title by 10 points having scored 17 more goals than second-placed Arsenal but Slot’s view is that the margins were small.

“Although we have created the most chances in the league, scored the most goals in the league, we have mostly won games by one goal difference.” In fact, nine of Liverpool’s 25 Premier League victories last season came by just one goal.

Where does this leave Ekitike?

Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:

Liverpool have already committed £79m to bringing in Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt and the France international forward has made a promising start to life at Anfield with goals in his first two games for the club. Many would argue that he warrants a run.

Slot himself has acknowledged that Ekitike’s best position is up front but he also pointed out that there are other ways that the flexible forward can fit in. “I see Hugo mainly as a No 9 who could also play from the left or with another No 9,” told Sky Sports.

Watch Newcastle vs Liverpool live on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football next week from 6.30pm, kick-off 8pm

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