Alexander Isak has been involved in a public spat with Newcastle United as he looks to force a move away from the club, with Liverpool having already seen a £110m bid rejected
Alan Shearer speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast
Alan Shearer is surprised by Alexander Isak's refusal to play for Newcastle after meeting him earlier this year(Image: youtube.com/@therestisfootball)
Alan Shearer thinks something has gone seriously wrong behind the scenes for Alexander Isak to push for a Newcastle United exit. The St James’ Park legend says he sat down with Liverpool target Isak just months ago and did not feel at the time that he was looking to leave.
Isak is currently in the midst of a stand-off with Newcastle as he tries to engineer an exit from the club, which he joined three years ago and won the Carabao Cup with last season. The 25-year-old was absent from the team's pre-season training camp and tour of Asia amid increasing uncertainty about his future.
After expressing his wish to leave Newcastle, the forward was the subject of a £110million offer from Liverpool at the start of this month, which the north east club promptly turned down. He has since been training on his own and was not part of the Magpies' Premier League opener against Aston Villa, a match that ended in a goalless draw despite Villa being reduced to 10 men.
The club's hierarchy maintain they will only let their star player go if another club meets their valuation of him, believed to be around £150m, given that he is contracted until 2028. It is unclear as of yet whether Liverpool will launch an improved second bid.
Newcastle icon Shearer discussed the ongoing transfer saga, which is expected to continue until the transfer window shuts on September 1, once again on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast. The former striker revealed that he had an in-depth conversation with Isak earlier this year and did not get any sense that he wanted to leave - leading him to believe something has upset the Sweden international in the time since.
Shearer said: “I sat down with him five or six months ago and I didn’t see this in him, to be honest. I thought he was a manager’s dream the way he spoke about his life and was talking about the club. So obviously, something has massively upset him and we don’t know what."
His co-host Gary Lineker theorised: “These things are always behind closed doors so there could have been a point maybe a year ago where they said, ‘If you have another great season we’ll give you a big bonus, redo your contract,’ and then it didn't transpire. I don’t know, but I suppose we’ll find out at some point.”
Alan Shearer and Alexander Isak meet
Shearer believes something has happened behind the scenes to frustrate Isak
(Image: Getty)
The episode was filmed before, but released after, Isak dropped a bombshell statement on Tuesday night, breaking his silence on the matter. He had declined to attend the Professional Footballers’ Association awards gala, where he was named in the Premier League team of the season.
The Swede took to Instagram to publish a statement explaining his absence, while indicating he is not looking to play for Newcastle again. He appeared to validate Shearer's theory by claiming "promises have been broken" and "trust has been lost" between the club and player.
He wrote: "I've kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken. That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn't reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors. The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time.
"To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading. When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. That's where things are for me right now - and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself."
Newcastle swiftly responded to his comments with their own statement, saying: “We are disappointed to have been alerted to a social media post by Alexander Isak this evening. 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.
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United reacts during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Fulham FC at St James' Park on February 1, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Isak this week accused Newcastle of breaking a promise
(Image: Visionhaus, Visionhaus/Getty Images)
“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 team-mates.”
There is some speculation as to where the relationship has soured. Some reports suggest that the Newcastle striker was promised a lucrative new contract by Amanda Staveley, but she and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi sold their shares in the club to the Saudi Public Investment Fund in July 2024.
It's claimed that Paul Mitchell, who later came on board as the club's sporting director, put a stop to contract talks with the player, believing the three years remaining on his deal meant he didn't require a new one.
Another theory is that Isak has become disillusioned with the club's direction and lack of ambition. It's been a disappointing summer for Eddie Howe in terms of recruitment, having missed out on several top targets, when Isak would have hoped to see the club invest in fresh talent to match his aspiration of competing for the biggest trophies.