Amanda Staveley and Alexander Isak have both had high profile exits from Newcastle United in successive summers.placeholder image
Amanda Staveley and Alexander Isak have both had high profile exits from Newcastle United in successive summers. | Getty
Amanda Staveley and Alexander Isak both know all about high-profile exits from Newcastle United.
Isak had scored 62 goals in 109 games for Newcastle since joining from Real Sociedad for £63million in 2022. It was a club record signing at the time that came less than a year after Newcastle were taken over by a consortium involving Amanda Staveley, RB Sports & Media and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
The Swedish striker played a key role in helping Newcastle qualify for the Champions League for the second time in three full seasons under PIF’s ownership, while also scoring the winning goal in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool back in March.
But Isak forced a move out of Newcastle following an approach from Liverpool. The striker refused to play or train with his teammates during the final months of his time on Tyneside before securing a move to Anfield.
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Alexander Isak opens up about Liverpool struggles
Things haven’t exactly gone according to plan for Isak at Liverpool so far as he’s yet to score a Premier League or Champions League goal for the club. His only strike in eight appearances so far came in the Carabao Cup win against Southampton, a competition Liverpool have since been knocked out of, having reached the final in 2025 and 2024 previously.
A groin injury has hampered Isak’s impact for Liverpool in recent weeks, but he returned to action off the bench in a 4-1 defeat to Switzerland while on international duty with Sweden.
Speaking about his fitness issues, Isak said: “It was about half an hour. It felt okay," he told Sportbladet. “I feel like the reaction was good after the match in my body.
“Hopefully I can play properly in the next match [v Slovenia]. It's always frustrating when you're injured. Regardless of whether it's one match or more.
“It's always worse for the player himself. It hasn't been optimal. But when I'm on the field, I don't give myself any excuses. I always want to play my game and perform.
“But yes, it's hard to be away and not be able to help and contribute. Now I'm back and I'm positive.
“There's not much that's easy in football. But with experience you learn to deal with things. That's how it is with injuries and all that. You learn to deal with it and get back on track the right way.”
Amanda Staveley breaks silence on Alexander Isak transfer & NUFC summer
A year prior to Isak’s departure, Newcastle experienced another major exit at the club as Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi left the club after playing a central role in the takeover process.
Speaking to Sky Sports at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Staveley was asked about the Isak saga in the summer.
“I’m just so proud of Newcastle and how they’re doing,” she said. “We just love Alex, we know he is going to do really well at Liverpool.
“He’s a great player. Liverpool have got an extraordinary player. But equally, it’s great to see the forwards doing well and Newcastle performing really well.
“I think the PSR rules are quite helpful and they are there to give fair competition and we navigated them well.”
Ghodoussi added: “They [the PSR rules] are there for a reason. They will adapt and change in time I’m sure, like everything does, but Newcastle are doing fantastically well, they’re obviously having a bit of a hiccup now in the Premier League but they’re doing fantastically well in the Champions League and we’re super proud of Eddie and the boys.”
Staveley has regularly visited the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since leaving Newcastle and has also been linked with a takeover of the London club, but nothing has materialised.
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