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Former Manchester United midfielder Andy Cole has called on Newcastle striker Alexander Isak to remain professional amid mounting speculation surrounding his future.
The 25-year-old has been at the center of one of the summer’s most talked-about transfer stories, with Liverpool expressing interest in a potential move. Despite Isak’s public desire to join the Reds, Newcastle remains firm that the player is not for sale, fueling tension between the club and the player.
Isak has missed the majority of Newcastle’s pre-season, having skipped the Asia tour with his teammates. He also sat out the opening game of the new season against Aston Villa, where some fans expressed their frustration, and is set to miss Monday’s clash with Liverpool as well.
Isak is attempting to force through a move to Liverpool by refusing to play for Newcastle, and Cole is not particularly impressed with the striker’s actions. "If a club came in for me and wants to buy me, there’s no way I’m not going to play for my respective club," said the former Newcastle player in an interview with eSports Insider.
"Look at Eberechi Eze, that's the way you do it. You play, you perform and everyone's happy. So for me personally, Isak refusing to play is not the way to go about it.
"Just be professional. I remember I played for Newcastle in the FA Cup on Sunday, then I joined Manchester United on Tuesday. But we’re all different and we deal with things differently.”
Arsenal moved quickly to secure the Crystal Palace winger’s signature, though no deal has been officially confirmed. The Gunners have successfully signed Eze from under Tottenham’s nose, but the England international is not expected to feature at the Emirates this Saturday.
Cole was also full of praise for Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian equaled his goalscoring record in Liverpool's Premier League opener against Bournemouth.
The 53-year-old added: He’s been phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. He’s got as much in the tank as he wants. I mean, he looks Uber fit, hungry to win games, hungry to score goals. If he keeps going like that, he won’t have any problems surpassing me. I don’t rock myself to sleep.
"Say to myself, ‘Oh my God…’, no. I don’t care. I literally don’t care. What makes me happy is that I’ve been retired for over 15 years now. You know, I’m 53 now, and I look at and turn and say to myself, sh*t, I’m still up there. 187 goals, one penalty. I was never a penalty taker.
"So I look at that and I say to myself, sh*t. That has stood the test of time for sure. Now, if I’d taken penalties, I’d have had a hell of a lot more. I was thinking that you could have got to 230, 240 maybe. I’m very, very proud of my record."
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