Alexander Isak will leave at some point, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s eventual exit from Manchester United should give Newcastle United some hope.
Indeed, Liverpool have made an approach to sign Isak, although Newcastle United do not want to sell their star player.
There is no suggestion Isak will push to leave St James’ Park this summer, though obviously the future can hardly be predicted.
Still, he has three years to go on his contract on Tyneside and Newcastle have made it clear they do not want to sell Isak this summer.
There will, however, come a day when the striker leaves the club. Unless he signs a new contract this summer, he’ll have two years left on his deal, and that would feel like a natural time to sell him.
Ronaldo has already proven that a team can accept a big player will depart a year in advance all while still keeping him happy at the club.
Alexander Isak is pictured playing for Newcastle United against Brighton in the FA Cup.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo agreed to stay at Manchester United for an extra year
Back in 2008, Sir Alex Ferguson convinced Ronaldo to stay at Old Trafford for an extra year.
Real Madrid were going big in their pursuit of the player but Ferguson managed to ensure the Manchester giants got at least one more year out of him before eventually allowing him to depart.
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Newcastle have to do something similar with Isak. They won’t be forced into a deal, but Newcastle do know Isak could earn more money at Liverpool. Accepting he can leave next summer feels wise, and that doesn’t mean what could be his final year has to be miserable.
Ronaldo went on to score 26 goals in 53 games during what was his final season at Old Trafford, winning the Premier League before getting his dream move to Madrid.
“Manager Sir Alex Ferguson heard my arguments, I heard his and it was felt the best thing would be for me to stay,” said Ronaldo to BBC Sport at the time, one year before he left.
“I can confirm that next season I will play for Manchester United.”
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring for Manchester United in the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
It would be foolish to suggest Isak will stay at Newcastle forever but leaving now would be a huge blow. Newcastle would look weak in the transfer market after all the talk about keeping him, while Eddie Howe would lose one of the best strikers in the world before a Champions League campaign.
A repeat of the Ronaldo strategy feels the best outcome for all parties.
Newcastle United do not expect Alexander Isak to force Liverpool move
Isak isn’t expected to force a move away from Newcastle this summer at least.
That feels important. It’s not to suggest a move to Liverpool wouldn’t appeal, just that it seems the player won’t exactly be going on strike, as Yohan Cabaye did in 2013 when trying to move to Arsenal.
Isak potentially being open to a move to Liverpool is understandable. He could earn much more money while competing for major trophies on a much more immediate basis than he would at Newcastle.
Still, it feels like Isak’s story at Newcastle has at least one more year in it.