Alexander Isak has told Newcastle he will never play for them again, and the situation draws parallels with Manchester United's refusal to sell Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008
Alexander Isak ahead of Newcastle's final 2024-25 match
Alexander Isak's reported refusal to play for Newcastle could lead Eddie Howe to take a page out of Sir Alex Ferguson's book
(Image: PA)
In an effort to determine how to handle a predicament like Alexander Isak, Eddie Howe could do worse than follow the blueprint established by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Newcastle find themselves with a discontented superstar eager to depart the club for greener pastures, just as Manchester United did when Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to join Real Madrid back in 2008. Isak, 25, has made no attempt to hide his wishes to depart St James' Park, which has resulted in him being excluded from the squad on the brink of the new Premier League season.
The Athletic reported Isak, who was already the target of an unsuccessful £110million offer from Liverpool, is "adamant" he'll never represent the Magpies again. The circumstances may differ, but certain elements of the impasse bear striking similarities to United's situation with Ronaldo 17 years ago.
The Portugal icon had just guided the Red Devils to the Champions League title, prompting then-Real president Ramon Calderon to openly declare his ambition to sign the global sensation. Ferguson, 83, didn't respond favourably to Real's statement of intent and joked he "wouldn't sell them a virus."
Documenting events in his 2013 autobiography, 'My Autobiography' (via The Mirror), he reached a private understanding with the five-time Ballon d'Or recipient that he would stay for one more campaign before being permitted to depart on United's conditions.
A passage from the book read: "I found the boy expressing an urge to go to Real Madrid, and told him, 'You can't go this year, not after the way Calderon has approached the issue.'
"I said, 'I know you want to go to Real Madrid, but I'd rather shoot you than sell you to that guy now. If you perform, don't mess us about, and someone comes and offers us a world-record fee, then we will let you go.' I had already conveyed that message to his agent, Jorge Mendes.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Carrington Training Ground in 2009.
Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to join Real Madrid in 2008, but Ferguson convinced him to stay for one more season
(Image: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
"I did well to calm him down. I told him the reason I was refusing to sell him that year was because of Calderon. I said, 'If I do that, all my honour's gone, everything's gone for me, and I don't care if you have to sit in the stands. I know it won't come to that, but I just have to tell you I will not let you leave this year.'"
The rest is history. Ronaldo saw out the 2008/09 season at Old Trafford before moving to Madrid for a then-world-record transfer fee of £80m after Florentino Perez replaced Calderon. The investment proved extremely worthwhile for Los Blancos, while Ferguson maintained his integrity.
The same might not apply to Isak after he allegedly declared his refusal to represent Newcastle again. And if Howe were to follow Ferguson's approach, he might need to accept the prospect of Isak spending considerable periods watching from the bench.
It's virtually unthinkable in today's football landscape, but both Howe and his Saudi ownership must contemplate that scenario. No clear buyers have emerged who are willing to match his rumoured £150m valuation at such a late stage in the transfer window.
Eddie Howe pats Alexander Isak's stomach
Eddie Howe has been put in a difficult position with just three weeks left in the transfer window
(Image: PA)
The Sweden international's reported act of rebellion has infuriated the talkSPORT partnership of Gabby Agbonlahor and Ally McCoist, who slammed his conduct on Tuesday. And the pair believe Isak's summer antics, including skipping Newcastle's pre-season trip and training with former employers Real Sociedad, have only damaged his marketability.
Former Aston Villa frontman Agbonlahor ripped into Isak following the latest revelations and asked: "Who does he think he is? Disgusting, what that club has done for you."
Scotland legend McCoist reinforced the message by wondering whether Isak's conduct would make him a desirable candidate for elite clubs: "If you're Liverpool, is that the kind of person you want to be signing?"
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