Alexander Isak has been pushing for a move away from Newcastle United, and his agent has come under fire for making several errors as Liverpool continue to be linked with the striker
Alexander Isak arrives for Newcastle
Alexander Isak could join Liverpool for a record-breaking fee
(Image: PA)
A top-level football agent claims Liverpool “could rightly” demand that Alexander Isak signs a “20-year contract” with the Reds with no release clause. That’s down to the poor bargaining position the Newcastle striker has been left in, thanks to his current agent.
Isak’s ongoing situation at Newcastle could be resolved ahead of Monday evening's transfer deadline. The saga has seen the Magpies reject a £110million bid from Liverpool earlier this month, before the situation turned toxic with Isak pushing to leave St James’ Park, training alone and not being involved in the season’s opening fixtures.
The Sweden international, 25, has made it clear he doesn’t want to play for Newcastle again, writing an emotional Instagram post claiming the club “broke promises”. That is believed to be in relation to either a new, upgraded contract, which Newcastle failed to agree terms with him on, or telling the striker they would be open to him exploring options elsewhere.
Newcastle's ownership held talks with Isak prior to their 3-2 loss to Liverpool on Monday evening in the hope that they could persuade their star player to remain with the offer of a lucrative new deal. But Isak reportedly has zero interest in doing so.
The Magpies have therefore completed the £65million signing of Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade as a replacement, ahead of a potential new British transfer record-shattering bid from Liverpool for Isak, which could reach £130m before add-ons and bonuses.
Now, sports agent Sky Andrew, who negotiated Sol Campbell's famous transfer from Tottenham to Arsenal, has strongly criticised how Isak's agent has handled the situation. Andrew broke down on Sky Sports how the agent has received commission for each year of the player's initial six-year contract, which was signed when he joined in 2022.
He went on to discuss the potential conflict of interest between an agent seeking to maximise their earnings through a new transfer and the best interests of their client, adding: “You've noticed, and I don't want to pour scorn on my profession, but you've noticed that it's only Isak that is seen as the bad guy.
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United reacts during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur at St. James Park on April 13, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Alexander Isak's gentleman's agreement promise "doesn't exist", according to an agent
(Image: Visionhaus, Visionhaus/Getty Images)
"There's something going on behind the scenes where he's being advised to behave in a certain way, but this isn't a good situation for football. If he gets his move, it isn't a good situation for football because there are young footballers out there looking at the situation and thinking, 'Oh right, that's the way to do it.'
"Players have got to take responsibility for who looks after them. And it's quite obvious that world-class players need world-class advice; they need people with hindsight or foresight. If anybody's telling me that this player came into Newcastle and no one expected him to be successful, then why is he playing football?”
Expanding on how the situation could benefit Liverpool, he continued: "So now we have a situation where he's forcing himself into doing a move. Liverpool could quite rightly say to him, 'We want a 20-year contract with no buyout,' because he's got nowhere else to go."
Andrew then dissected Isak's recent statement and his claims that the club had broken promises, arguing that gentleman’s agreements shouldn't be treated as binding when millions of pounds are at stake - a view recently shared by Alan Shearer, who suggested that Isak "should sack" his agent.
He said: "That's absolutely ridiculous. Promises were reneged upon; we are in a multi-billion-pound industry. Any promises have to be put in black and white, in a contract; if it's not put in a contract, then it doesn't exist. And for any agent to not put discussions, whatever promises were made, they've got to be put in a contract.
"If it's not in a contract, you can't expect anyone to honour it. And for the player to say that he was made promises, that's a reflection on his representatives, because players just want to play football. And if they sit there with someone and say 'Oh right,' the common saying is clubs will say, 'Ah don't worry, just come and knock on our door,' when things are going well.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe (left), who has insisted he still wants striker Alexander Isak (right) in is team amid continuing uncertainly over his future
Eddie Howe insists he made no promises to Isak(Image: PA)
"That's just not good enough. He is a world-class asset, you can't blame Newcastle for giving him a six-year contract - well-played. But then when it comes down to the divorce, the divorce has to be negotiated at the same time as the marriage. There are too many agents out there doing an average job, and I don't want to criticise this agent in particular, because I'm not 100% sure what's going on behind the scenes - but this situation should never arise.”
Manager Eddie Howe has also had his say this week, denying claims that he promised Isak a transfer away from Newcastle this summer. Since Isak's comments, speculation has been circulating that Howe had told the striker he could join Liverpool once a replacement was found, but Howe has dismissed that suggestion.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “I never make any promises to any players regarding transfers because, ultimately, I’m not in control of the whole thing. I would never make a promise like that to any player.”
Newcastle supporters have turned against Isak due to his insistence on leaving after three years. While various reports suggest there may be activity before Monday's deadline, Liverpool's current stance is that they will not increase their initial offer.