Alexander Isak And Newcastle Approach Point Of No Return After Striker’s Latest Outburst

As a wide rule, it is almost ever champion to slumber connected things earlier making important decisions aliases reacting to provocations. So why, astatine adjacent to midnight connected Tuesday, did Newcastle unreserved retired a seemingly kneejerk consequence to Alexander Isak’s incendiary Instagram station claiming that, amid surgery promises, his narration pinch nan nine was over?

In a connection reflecting an appreciably tougher reside than astatine immoderate clip during this summertime saga, Newcastle insisted nary promises had been surgery and that their volition is to support Isak. The connection was that nan Sweden striker’s effort to unit a move to Liverpool had grounded and he would request to extremity his one-man onslaught earlier being welcomed backmost to first-team training. The only problem is that while you tin lead a equine to h2o it sometimes really is intolerable to make them drink.

Even if – and correct now it looks a beautiful large if – Isak stops training unsocial and agrees to rejoin Newcastle’s first-team fold, really tin Eddie Howe ever spot him again? Howe’s high-intensity, hard-pressing attack is highly demanding and, if Isak is thing little than afloat engaged, he will beryllium detrimental to nan team. Yes, Isak is supremely gifted, but nan modular successful nan Premier League and Champions League is truthful precocious moreover he is not tin of drifting done games.

Howe has already acknowledged that Isak’s behaviour successful skipping Newcastle’s pre-season circuit of south-east Asia disrupted dressing room morale. Does he really want a player, nevertheless talented, polluting behind-the-scenes ambiance pinch his grievances? Given Newcastle fans person taken to chanting astir “one greedy bastard”, maintaining his individual information successful nan look of aggravated protagonist anger whitethorn not beryllium precisely straightforward, either.

Moreover, Isak knows that pinch each mediocre capacity nan value tag astir his cervix will drop. Given that Liverpool person shown nary denotation of pursuing replacement strikers, they could extremity up playing a somewhat longer crippled and waiting until Newcastle are hopeless to offload their No 14 successful January. In reality it will beryllium a awesome astonishment if this saga endures that long. Indeed a observant reference of Newcastle’s connection conveys a hint that possibly it is portion of a haggling manoeuvre arsenic nan club’s Saudi Arabian owners purpose to extract nan maximum imaginable value from their Anfield counterparts. As nan erstwhile Newcastle and Liverpool head Rafael Benítez utilized to say: “All shot is simply a lie.”

“We person been clear that nan conditions for a waste this summertime person not transpired,” publication Newcastle’s connection connected Tuesday night. “We do not foresee these conditions being met”. The conditions successful mobility mention to nan request for Newcastle to motion 2 strikers to not simply switch Isak but besides Callum Wilson, who is now astatine West Ham. There is simply a mentation that Isak’s withering societal media-outburst reflected his vexation astatine nan club’s unwillingness to salary Brentford’s £50m-£60m asking interest for Yoane Wissa to capable astatine slightest 1 of those slots. In an uncanny parallel, Wissa has also absented himself from first-team involvement astatine his nine arsenic he attempts to seal a longed-for move to St James’ Park.

Yoane Wissa is trying to technologist a move to St James’ Park from Brentford. Photograph: Dave Shopland/AP

The ostensibly weird point astir nan projected Wissa woody is that nan Saudis want £150m for Isak but person offered Brentford little than a 3rd of that, bidding £35m for nan DR Congo forward. Statistics tin beryllium deceptive but successful this lawsuit they look beautiful compelling. Last play Wissa scored 19 goals successful 35 Premier League appearances. Significantly, nary were penalties. Isak, meanwhile, scored 23 times successful 34 convention appearances for a overmuch stronger side. Four of his goals were besides penalties.

There is simply a reasonable lawsuit for claiming that Isak’s all-round crippled is superior to Wissa’s, but Brentford-watchers demur, making nan constituent that Wissa is besides a beautiful useful attacking threat from wide connected nan left. The large quality is that Wissa is 3 years older than Isak. Perhaps much importantly, while 3 years stay connected Isak’s statement pinch Newcastle, location is only 1 twelvemonth near connected Wissa’s pinch Brentford.

If Newcastle lifted their connection for Wissa somewhat past £40m, Brentford would surely do a deal. Their Saudi owners besides cognize that keeping Isak for different twelvemonth could beryllium alternatively pointless fixed that he is intelligibly not committed to Howe’s origin and adjacent summer’s value for a past 26-year-old pinch 2 years near connected his statement is going to beryllium obscurity adjacent £150m.

Despite appearances to nan contrary, nan imaginable of specified a dwindling profit separator intends it is still eminently imaginable to envisage Isak waking up arsenic a Liverpool subordinate connected 2 September. Similarly, Jørgen Strand Larsen aliases Gonçalo Romas could subordinate Wissa connected Tyneside by nan clip nan transportation model has shut. And should that each transpire, what’s for judge is that Newcastle’s dressing room would beryllium an infinitely healthier, happier place.