Alexander Isak has accused Newcastle United of breaking promises to him and insists the relationship “can't continue” after confirming he wants to quit the club.
Newcastle turned down a bid of £110 million from Premier League champions Liverpool earlier this month, stating that the Sweden striker was not for sale.
According to reports, Isak believed he had an agreement with Newcastle that he would be allowed to leave this summer if a leading club came in for him and offered the right price.
“When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue,” Isak wrote on Instagram stories. “Change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself.”
Isak, 25, was shortlisted for the PFA Men's Player of the Year and also named in the PFA Premier League Team of the 2024/25 season at Monday's Professional Footballers' Association Awards in Manchester. He chose not to attend due to ongoing issues surrounding his future.
“I've kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken. This silence has allowed people to perpetuate their own version of events, even though they know it doesn't reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors,” he added.
Isak said Newcastle have known his position “for a long time” and said pushing a narrative that his wish to leave is a new development was “misleading”.
Newcastle stand firm
In response, Newcastle said in a statement that no commitment was made by a club official that Isak could leave this summer.
“We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer,” the statement said.
“We want to keep our best players, but we also understand players have their own wishes and we listen to their views.
“As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired. We do not foresee those conditions being met.
“This is a proud football club with proud traditions and we strive to retain our family feel. Alex remains part of our family and will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his teammates.”
Isak missed Newcastle's goalless draw with Aston Villa in their Premier League opener on Saturday, and Eddie Howe's side are set to play defending champions Liverpool on Monday.
Why do Newcastle want to keep Isak?
There are fairly obvious reasons Newcastle are so desperate to keep hold of their star striker.
Isak scored 27 goals across competitions last season, including 23 in the Premier League as the Magpies finished fifth to secure a return to Uefa Champions League football.
He also scored what proved to be the winning goal as Newcastle ended their 70-year wait for a domestic trophy in March's League Cup final against Liverpool.
Isak has scored 62 goals since joining from Real Sociedad three years ago for a reported £63 million, making him by far the club's most prolific marksman.
Despite an sharp rise in new recruits over the past week, Newcastle manager Howe is light in the striker department, with Callum Wilson having departed St James' Park following the expiration of his contract.
Howe said last week there was still a chance Isak could be reintegrated into the Newcastle squad, despite the difficult situation.
Howe said the summer has been challenging given the absence of his star striker but that the squad has “really come together in the latter stages of preseason”.
Transfers in
Howe bolstered his squad with the signing of Jacob Ramsey from Aston Villa for £40m on Sunday, after securing AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw for a reported £34.6m earlier in the week.
This added to July's £55m signing of Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga and the loan signing of England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale earlier this month.
Howe's priority, it is understood, is to recruit one and possibly two new strikers before the transfer window closes on September 1, which will become even more urgent should Liverpool or another club return with an improved offer for Isak.
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ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Brief scoreline:
Toss: South Africa, elected to bowl first
England (311-8): Stokes 89, Morgan 57, Roy 54, Root 51; Ngidi 3-66
South Africa (207): De Kock 68, Van der Dussen 50; Archer 3-27, Stokes 2-12
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
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Red flags
Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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