Newcastle United fans striding up to St James’ Park, their sporting shrine on the hill, will resemble a protest march as well as the usual match-day pilgrimage this evening. They rise with quickening step towards their home from home chanting about the team they love and a player they have sadly come to loathe, Alexander Isak, a player who wants to leave them.
Their talented, coveted centre forward will not be present for the Premier League meeting between Newcastle, the team he’s paid to play for, and Liverpool, the team he wants to play for. His refusal to play is a decision that’s outraged fans and wounded their pride.
Isak’s name will be on their lips but no longer in their hearts as they hurry towards St James’. Many will stop at the food bank, dropping a few pounds in the bucket to help those struggling in this North-Eastern English city. People care for others here. They will nod to the statue of Alan Shearer, a local hero, goalscoring legend who has been forthright in his views about Isak’s lack of loyalty.
Some of the congregation will turn left and head up to the smart seats in the Milburn Stand, climbing steps inscribed with words about what Newcastle mean: “We are the expectation, the conversation from the moment we wake to our final thought.” Expectation, conversation, obsession and now rejection. And it hurts deep.
Others will file noisily into the Gallowgate stand, ascending the levels, decibel levels rising, before finally emerging in the choir section, the beating heart of Newcastle’s impassioned support. Many momentarily stop singing, their breath taken away by the view of the glorious strip of grass stretching out below. No matter how often they see it, it remains special. They would give anything to pull on that black-and-white shirt and step out on to that beautiful pitch and play their heart out for the team they love. Why would anybody want to leave this field of Geordie dreams?
Well, loyalty is mainly for fans, not professional footballers. Isak grew up on the edge of Stockholm, not St James’. His career has taken him to Germany and Spain before England. He’ll soon be 26, moving towards his peak, and the attraction of Liverpool, the champions, is understandable. Liverpool are bigger than Newcastle in history, trophy cabinet, support, resources and renown. They are also genuine contenders to win the Champions League.
Talent has drained away from Tyneside to Anfield before. Isak would be the eighth player to move from Newcastle to Liverpool in the past half-century; Terry McDermott, Alan Kennedy, Peter Beardsley, Dietmar Hamann, Andy Carroll, José Enrique and Georginio Wijnaldum. The seven won 35 major trophies between them at Liverpool. Newcastle have lifted one trophy in the same period.
That prize was the Carabao Cup last March when Newcastle defeated Liverpool. The front cover of the Wembley programme that bright spring day carried an image of a head-to-head between Isak and Liverpool’s best player, Mohamed Salah, the skilful, prolific Egyptian. The pair are depicted gazing at each other. It felt portentous, as if imagining what it would be like to work with each other.
Liverpool players flicking through that programme in the dressing room before kickoff at Wembley would have alighted on an interview with “Alexander the Great.” The article provided eloquent testimony on why Isak is so sought after. “Some players are meant for the big stage—Alexander Isak is certainly one of them,” it began.
“If you were to design the perfect striker in a lab, the Newcastle United star possesses all the desired attributes … tall, quick, strong, mobile, skillful, clinical … a basketball player’s physique with ballerina feet, while exuding a composed aura that makes him such a lethal finisher in front of goal.” Liverpool were reminded of this a couple of hours later at Wembley when Isak scored the winner.
He delivers in big games, against elite defences. Of his 62 goals in 109 games for Newcastle, Isak has beaten top keepers, including Gianluigi Donnarumma, David Raya, Ederson, Alisson and the world champion Emiliano Martínez three times. Isak is gold standard, almost a guarantee of silverware. It’s why Liverpool want him.
So far, so normal. Big club chases star at smaller club. Star wants to maximise his sporting and financial situation in a short career. Welcome to football’s food chain. Newcastle themselves are doing the same to Brentford with their striker Yoane Wissa.
The Isak saga has become drawn out and riddled with rancour, especially on social media, because of the manner in which Isak has tried to force his way out of Newcastle. He’s refused to play again for the team, talking about broken promises and a broken relationship, and so has been ordered to train on his own.
It’s a contrast with the respectful behaviour of Eberechi Eze, the England attacker, in leaving Crystal Palace for Arsenal last week. The situations are slightly different in that there was a release clause in Eze’s contract, simplifying negotiations (something that Isak should remind his agent to do in the future). Eze trained and played while the clubs negotiated. He left with Palace wishing him well while shedding a few tears. Eze penned an emotional farewell. He did it with all the dignity lacking in the Isak mess.
It’s why Isak’s name will be derided in what’s being depicted almost as a custody battle tonight. It’s why Liverpool, perceived as predators, will receive such a hostile reception. They bid £110 million ($148.8 million) for a player that Newcastle value at £150 million. Liverpool consider their offer fair as it would be a record transfer between English clubs. Newcastle fans respond that Liverpool pledge to pay up to £116 million for Florian Wirtz, an outstanding No. 10 drafted in from Bayer Leverkusen who doesn’t come with a goalscorer’s premium or the added tax of being a proven Premier League performer. Isak is worth more than £110 million. He has three years left on his contract. Newcastle don’t want to sell their best player.
If Liverpool offered £130 million-plus their fans would deem it too much, Newcastle fans would see it as too little and most neutrals would see such a figure as fair. It would be no surprise if a second, more realistic offer came in from Liverpool tomorrow when all the heat and dust of the game has died down.
Newcastle and their impressive, diplomatic manager, Eddie Howe, say they hope Isak can be reintegrated if he’s still there when the transfer window closes on Monday, Sep. 1, but, really, can he be? Isak wants to go and even some of his teammates must be annoyed by the distraction.
Footballing history shows players staying and being reassimilated, albeit often only for another season. People say the fans will accept Isak back if he apologises and resumes scoring. But many of those leaving St James’ at 10 p.m. tonight will sound too angry and too let-down to contemplate Isak staying. They just want a fair price—and a farewell.
