The toxic transfer saga surrounding Alexander Isak at Newcastle United has reached a new low. Following a deeply frustrating goalless draw with 10-man Aston Villa on the opening day of the Premier League season, the club’s travelling fans vocally turned on their wantaway star striker, while manager Eddie Howe pleaded for a swift resolution to the damaging standoff.
Isak’s absence was acutely felt at Villa Park on Saturday. Newcastle dominated the match for large periods and played against 10 men for the final 25 minutes, but were toothless in attack and failed to find a winning goal. After the match, a visibly frustrated Howe admitted, “Of course, you’re going to miss someone that scored the goals that Alex has.”
The supporters made their feelings on the matter perfectly clear at the final whistle. A large portion of the travelling Toon Army were heard loudly chanting, “There is only one greedy b—–d,” a chant aimed directly at Isak. The Swedish international is currently refusing to play for the club as he attempts to force through his desired move to Liverpool.
The manager, who is clearly exasperated by the ongoing soap opera, begged for an end to the saga which is overshadowing his team’s start to the season. “I hope it’s resolved quickly, because it’s news around us all the time,” Howe said in his post-match press conference. “We need that clarity this season… You don’t need any kind of distraction.”
Howe then placed the responsibility for ending the standoff firmly on the 25-year-old player. “There’s only one person [Isak] really that could control that,” he stated. “The door is well and truly open [for him to return]. But he has to decide what he wants to do.”
The situation at Newcastle has now become untenable. With the fans turning against him and his absence directly costing the team crucial points on the pitch, the pressure on the club’s board to finally sell Alexander Isak to Liverpool has now intensified massively. A resolution, one way or another, now seems inevitable.