Bombshell Alexander Isak claims – Disgraceful details leaked on Newcastle saga
Football is a dirty business and there are always two sides to a story. The briefing around Alexander Isak’s departure has begun in earnest and we now have the Newcastle United version of events.
Luke Edwards of The Telegraph has detailed his understanding of the chronology that led to Isak joining Liverpool, and it is explosive. It should be noted that Edwards has steadfastly stuck to the line that Isak would not be sold since before the summer until the day before it happened, so he may be feeling bruised by the outcome. However, there is no reason to disbelieve his version of events as one of the best connected and most experienced journalists covering Newcastle.
The claim is that as far back as May 2024 when Newcastle were in PSR strife Isak was unsettled, and his agent started offering him around Europe.
By July 2024 Isak and his representatives were advised that contract talks (previously promised by the departed Amanda Staveley) would be postponed to 2025 due to Newcastle’s financial position. This is apparently the point where Isak said he would leave (this is disputed by Newcastle). Howe was aware that Isak was unsettled and then felt compelled to pull Isak into line after a miserable performance at Fulham, where he deemed Isak had been ‘sulking’ for a number of months. This man management tactic evidently worked as Isak hit his best form across the Christmas period and then publicly stated his happiness, dismissing suggestions he may want to leave.
The real issues started after the cup final victory in the spring of 2025. The idea is that some within the club believed Isak was ‘behaving and playing like someone who did not want the team to qualify for the Champions League, as he knew it would make it harder for him to explain to Howe and the supporters why he wanted to go’. This is an extraordinary claim.
The next revelation (confirmed by Eddie Howe over the summer) was that Isak discussed his future with Howe two weeks before the end of the season. he was reportedly told he wasn’t for sale, and no assurances were given to him. On the contrary the club tried to negotiate a new contract with Isak including a pay rise and release clause of between £120 – 130m in summer 2026, which his agent declined. It is at this point Newcastle started to become mindful of the precedent if they sold Isak for less than their £150m asking price.
By June, Newcastle still felt they could talk Isak around despite his agent’s ongoing assertions he would leave. They tried and failed to sign ‘competition’ for him, but there was a power vacuum at the top of the club following Mitchell’s departure, which meant Howe had to deal directly with Isak’s agent.
Howe decided by July that he would leave communications up to the Newcastle board and keep his distance from the situation, aware as he was that he still had to manage the player, although by this point Isak’s behaviour had escalated. Firstly, he pulled out of pre-season and went to train by himself, unauthorised, in Spain. Then his representatives, in an effort to cause ‘maximum damage’, leaked Isak’s desire to ‘explore his options’ while Newcastle were flying to Asia, which blindsided Howe and everyone else at the club.
Liverpool finally made an official transfer bid of £110m in early August which was swiftly rejected. Newcastle tried and failed again to sign some strikers, and Isak told Howe he would only rejoin the group if Liverpool withdrew their interest. Then Isak released his incendiary statement which Newcastle were compelled to respond to.
