Alexander Isak transfer: Swedish striker alleges Newcastle have ‘broken commitments’

Alexander Isak claims Newcastle United has “broken” agreements and that “the relationship can’t continue” as he seeks a summer leave.

Newcastle rejected Liverpool’s £110 million proposal for the Sweden international, who is still at odds with the club over his future, 19 days ago.

BBC Sport understands. Isak believed he would be permitted to leave Newcastle if a major club came in for him and paid the correct amount.

On Tuesday, Isak released a statement on Instagram explaining why he did not attend the Professional Footballers’ Association’s awards dinner where he was chosen to the Premier League squad of the season.

“I’ve kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken,” he said.

“That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even when they are aware that it does not accurately reflect what was stated and agreed upon behind closed doors.

“The reality is that promises were made, and the club has known about my situation for a long time. It is disingenuous to appear as if these difficulties are only just surfacing.

“When commitments are broken and trust is lost, the relationship cannot last. That’s where things stand for me right now, and why change is beneficial to everyone, not just me.”

In a subsequent statement, a “disappointed” Newcastle said: “We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no club official has ever made a commitment that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer.”

“We want to keep our greatest players, but we also recognize that players have their own preferences and listen to their feedback.

“As we said to Alex and his representatives, we must always consider the best interests of Newcastle United, the team, and our supporters in all decisions, and we have made it clear that the terms of a sale this summer have not been met. We don’t anticipate those requirements being met.”

Isak has been the main talking point of the summer window, which ends on September 1.

But Liverpool has yet to make an improved bid for the 25-year-old.

Will the Reds make another bid? Will he return to first-team training in the meantime? What happens if a transaction is not completed by the 1 September deadline?

BBC Sport has spoken with several people to acquire the most up-to-date information on these issues and what might happen next.

Why hasn’t Liverpool made another bid for Isak?

To explain this, let’s look at Newcastle’s recent transfers.

After a rough summer, their business has begun to improve.

On Sunday, they bought midfielder Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa for £40 million. Earlier in the week, they signed AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw for a reported £34.6 million.

This follows the signing of Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga for £55 million in July and the loan signing of England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in early August.

But there is one conspicuous omission.

Prior to the departure of Calum Wilson, Isak’s future was uncertain due to a lack of strikers.

According to BBC Sport, one of the reasons there hasn’t been a follow-up bid is because any transfer would require Newcastle to bring in two forwards.

Newcastle have openly stated that Isak is not for sale, but Liverpool understands they are seeking for two strikers for a reason.

When – or perhaps if – Newcastle completes those two deals, Liverpool are set to step up their interest with another bid.

According to sources, the next bid will be for at least £120 million. However, for the time being, it’s all about waiting.

What is going on with Newcastle’s own striker hunt?

As a result, attention shifts to Newcastle’s striker quest.

Eddie Howe made no bones about it over the weekend.

“It’s not like we’re looking at any other area,” Newcastle’s manager remarked after his team’s goalless draw with Aston Villa on Saturday.

However, finding a replacement for Wilson has proven difficult enough, let alone adding a second striker.

Newcastle are still interested in Yoane Wissa, but have yet to meet Brentford’s asking price of more than £40 million.

The DR Congo forward, who was left out of the squad for Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, wants to join Newcastle.

Jorgen Strand Larsen is one of a few centre-forwards on Newcastle’s radar, but Wolves don’t want to lose him.

Larsen just made the permanent transfer to Molineux last month, following a brilliant loan spell in which he scored 14 Premier League goals.

The club has already let Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri go this summer.

Larsen and Wissa demonstrate the difficulty Newcastle faces at this stage of the window in convincing a team to part with another significant player.

Anthony Gordon led the line on the first day, and it would be surprising if he does not start against Liverpool on Monday night.

Why has Newcastle struggled to finalize some deals?

After missing out on a number of targets this summer, it appeared that momentum had shifted in the previous week with the completion of Thiaw and Ramsey’s deals.

Don’t forget that major targets Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko, and Joao Pedro have all left Newcastle this summer.

These strikers ended up at Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea, respectively, and in addition to heavy rivalry from such clubs, other considerations were at play.

Consider replacing Wilson, for example.

For starters, centre-forwards desire minutes, so there wasn’t necessarily a long line of talented frontmen waiting to play a supporting role before Isak ceased training with the team.

Second, goal-scorers are pricey.

Newcastle may be in a significantly better financial situation this summer after significant historical losses were removed from the club’s new three-year Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) cycle.

However, they must remain astute in order to sign what those in the know refer to as the “right” player.

There isn’t a long list of targets, and Newcastle has discovered that when a wanted striker becomes available this summer, his price rises.

Despite the pressing need, Newcastle are wary of overpaying in the last stages of the window, given the impact such a splurge could have on the club’s capacity to strengthen in future windows.

Can Isak be reintegrated into the team if he refuses to leave?

That remains a massive ‘if’, of course.

Throughout the drama, Howe has maintained a constant message: the door is still open to Isak.

But Newcastle’s head coach emphasized that what happens next is up to the striker, who continues to practice apart from the group.

Newcastle’s statement on Tuesday night read: “This is a historic football club with strong traditions, and we aim to maintain our family feel. Alex remains a member of our family, and he will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his teammates.”

It felt like a long way back for Isak on Saturday after the away end labelled him “greedy” during the goalless draw with Villa.

However, time is against Isak if he wants to transfer to Liverpool, especially as there are few realistic options remaining on the market who can step up for Newcastle.

Omar Chaudhuri, the chief intelligence officer of Twenty First Group, who formerly worked with teams such as Newcastle and Tottenham, has noted a “greater interest in top-class strikers” than in years past.

“Globally, there have been seven centre-forwards moving for 50m euros or more this window, compared to two in 2024, six in 2023, and five in 2022,” stated the player.

“But clubs should definitely minimize expectations about their impact. Of the 19 strikers bought by Premier League clubs for 50 million euros or more prior to this season, probably only Haaland and Isak can be regarded unquestionable successes.”

It’s no surprise that Howe insists the door is open.

Trying to reintegrate Isak may prove to be one of Newcastle’s better alternatives – and that is saying something.