Having scored the winning goal in the Carabao Cup final for Newcastle against Liverpool, almost nobody could have predicted the complete breakdown in the relationship between Isak and the club less than six months later.
The striker has been clamouring for a move to Liverpool for much of the window, has yet to train with the squad, and has missed all out pre-season friendlies both at home and abroad.
There is hope that the player and the club can eventually mend fences and work together once again, but with Isak completely AWOL less than 48 hours before the start of the season, that looks like it won’t be happening until next month at the earliest.
And his actions haven’t gone unnoticed in the media, as top pundits and former pros are all in agreement about the shocking nature of his recent actions.
“It’s shocking behaviour!” 😤
Has Alexander Isak crossed the line in pushing for a Liverpool move this summer? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/bfXdm8ZcDb
— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) August 14, 2025
Speaking on the Stick To Football podcast, the group of Ian Wright, Roy Keane and Gary Neville each weighed in on the ongoing Isak situation.
And collectively, they each feel that Isak has directed his blame at the wrong people in the situation.
Wright in particular seemed very disappointed with Isak’s conduct. “It doesn’t look good, and you have to say there’s a lot of talk what was promised to him maybe through Staveley, I don’t know what’s going on.”
Keane expressed a bit more skepticism about the situation, believing that Isak has done the completely wrong thing by being absent from training and games.
“I’m always wary that if a player says they were promised something: they were already on deals.”
“You might be disappointed with the club, and you think you might be leaving, you still want to train and play. Because the benefits to me training and playing is ‘If I stay or I go, I’d be ready!’
“This would be different if Newcastle finished near the bottom and there was disarray. They’ve just had a brilliant season, they’re in the Champions League.”
“The behaviour, it’s kind of shocking, if we’re going to be totally honest, it’s shocking behaviour. I don’t know what’s happened with his agent, I don’t know if his agent has done the job properly, whatever it is.”
Eddie Howe has done all he can to shield Isak from direct criticism throughout this whole ordeal, stretching back to the first pre-season game against Celtic.
“I feel sorry for Eddie Howe on this one, because I don’t think he deserves it.”
But the conversation quickly switches from showing support to Howe for how he’s handled things, to laying the blame at the feet of Isak, his agent and Liverpool.
“You know, If Liverpool were going to get him, go and pay the £150m!”
“If Isak wants to be angry with anybody, be angry with your agent for not putting a buyout clause at £70-80m.”
“We had the same a couple of years ago with Harry Kane: you can’t be angry with agents, your job is to train and play. If you’ve gone into bed with an agent who’s not doing their job, then you can’t go to the club (and complain).”
“But then don’t sign a six year deal with no clause! What the f***, what are Newcastle supposed to do?”
It’s quickly become the story of the summer for all the wrong reasons, and it will no doubt have had a major impact on all our pre-season training efforts.
Howe and the rest of the squad will be praying that September 1st comes quickly, and the window finally comes to an end to bring this saga to a close.