Wayne Rooney has warned that Newcastle United will lose more than just a special striker if they sell Alexander Isak.
The 25-year-old’s future is one of the biggest talking points in football right now, with Isak eager to leave Newcastle United.
He did not feature at all during pre-season and Isak is now refusing to play for Newcastle again.
It feels unlikely that his stance will force Eddie Howe’s hand, as Newcastle are struggling to find an Isak alternative. Unless that changes, Isak will not be allowed to leave.
That will be music to the ears of former Premier League striker Wayne Rooney, who has issued a warning to the Magpies about what might happen if the Sweden international is sold.
Wayne Rooney celebrates after scoring a goal during Soccer Aid.
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images
Selling Alexander Isak will impact future Newcastle United signings
Not only will selling Isak weaken the Newcastle United squad, but it could also influence players who the club may want to sign in the future.
That is the view of Rooney, who has spoken about the Isak situation on BBC Match of the Day’s Premier League preview on YouTube.
“I think it’s a huge blow for Newcastle,” he said.
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“Newcastle over the last few years, they’re doing everything right. They’re not going beyond the PSR rules. They’re trying to do everything within the rules.
“For Isak to leave, if that happens, it’s a massive setback. They’re trying to build a squad that’s ready to compete for the Premier League and being in the Champions League as well.
“If Isak goes, players will look at that and say, if the best players are leaving then is that somewhere that I want to go?
“Newcastle will do everything to try keep him.”
Wayne Rooney says Newcastle United can rebuild further with Alexander Isak sale
Alternatively, Rooney has admitted that cashing in on Isak now would give the Magpies significant funds to reinvest.
“On the other hand, it might free up a bit of money to help them bring more players into the squad and make them stronger,” he added.
“But I’m sure they will do everything to try to keep him.”
If Isak were to leave, the obvious recruit would be a striker to replace him.
After that, it is unclear where Newcastle United would turn. They have slowly built an impressive squad with depth running throughout it. You could argue that they do not need any more signings in the immediate future.
Long-term, selling Isak would give Newcastle United so much wiggle room with PSR that they probably would not need to worry about those horrible three letters for a long time.
However, as always, Isak is only leaving if there is a replacement out there. It currently does not look like there is, with Newcastle unsure about signing Nicolas Jackson.