Alexander Isak of Newcastle United looks dejected after Carlos Alcaraz of Everton scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Everton FC at St James' Park on May 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)placeholder image
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United looks dejected after Carlos Alcaraz of Everton scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Everton FC at St James' Park on May 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Alexander Isak’s proposed move to Liverpool took another twist with a series of statements with Alan Shearer having his say on the saga.
The Alexander Isak transfer saga seems to lurch from one fiasco to the next with the Liverpool target now said to be going nowhere.
Comparisons to how Trent Alexander-Arnold manufactured his Anfield exit are wide of the mark and Alan Shearer, speaking on The Rest is Football podcast has been asked to have his say on two examples of player power affecting his club both in terms of a potential signing and the possible exit of Isak from St James’ Park.
Alan Shearer reacts as Alexander Isak looks to force Liverpool move
In a question and answer session provided by listeners to the podcast, Gary Linkeker asked Shearer if his opinion on Isak’s behaviour was similar to that of Yoane Wissa who has also downed tools to force a move to Newcastle from Brentford: “I don't think it's... I don't like players that have got a contract not training or refusing to train or refusing to play. You have a contract behind you.
“Now, I always said, I understand there's two sides to every story. Isak might have a story, which he hasn't spoken about yet. Wissa might have a story, which he hasn't spoken about yet. I get... I think I read this morning, he's deleted all his photographs of being in the Brentford show or anything to do with Brentford, deleted his profile from Brentford. I don't know his side of the story, but I don't like...
“No, I'm exactly the same as the Isak situation. It is not right if you've got a... I mean, Isak's got three years left. You can't not train or play. You're being paid by the football club and whatever reason or whatever hump you've got or gripe you've got with whoever, chairman, owners, manager, whatever it may be, you still have a duty to the other players because of that contract and to the football club to go and train and go and play. There's a way of getting out of a football club and and refusing to train and play is not the right way.”
Is Isak situation the same as Alexander-Arnold’s?
Shearer appears to be more disappointed in Isak rather than else having interviewed Newcastle’s talisman on more than one occasion with the Geordie legend reflecting on when they last met:
“I sat down with him five, six months ago, Alex, and I didn't see this in him, to be honest. I thought he was a manager's dream, to be honest, the way he spoke and the way he was talking about himself and the club and his life and everything else. So obviously something has massively upset him and we don't know that, but those two circumstances, Trent and Alex and Isak are totally different.
“These things are always behind closed doors, so there could have been a point maybe a year ago where they've said, if you have a great season, we'll give you another big bonus or redo your contract and then it didn't transpire. You don't know, I'm just, I don't know either, but I suppose we'll find out at some point.”
Shearer was highly critical of Liverpool fans who weren’t happy about Alexander-Arnold leaving. He might not have downed tools, however, at least Isak has been open about what he wants and what his intentions are – even if they might not be popular with those of a black and white persuasion.
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