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Alan Shearer believes Alexander Isak’s attempts to leave Newcastle United have to stem from a bitter fall-out behind the scenes. The St James' Park legend recalled a conversation with Liverpool target Isak just a few months ago, during which he didn't sense any desire from the player to depart.
Isak is currently embroiled in a stand-off with Newcastle as he attempts to orchestrate his departure from the club he joined three years ago and with whom he clinched the Carabao Cup last season. The 25-year-old was notably absent from the team's pre-season training camp and Asian tour amidst growing uncertainty over his future.
After voicing his desire to leave Newcastle, the forward became the subject of a £110 million ($148M) bid from Liverpool at the beginning of this month, which was swiftly rejected by the north-east club. He has since been training alone and was not included in the Magpies' Premier League opener against Aston Villa, a match that ended 0-0 despite Villa being down to 10 men.
The club's bosses insist they will only allow their star player to leave if another club matches their valuation of him, thought to be around £150M ($202M), considering he is under contract until 2028. It remains uncertain whether Liverpool will table an improved second offer.
Newcastle icon Shearer discussed the summer’s biggest transfer saga again on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, with the situation expected to rumble on until the window closes on September 1. The former striker revealed he had an in-depth conversation with Isak earlier this year and detected no indication that he wished to leave - leading him to suspect something has seriously upset the Swedish international since then.
Shearer said: “I sat down with him five or six months ago and I didn’t see this in him, to be honest. I thought he was a manager’s dream the way he spoke about his life and was talking about the club. So obviously, something has massively upset him and we don’t know what."
His co-host Gary Lineker added: “These things are always behind closed doors so there could have been a point maybe a year ago where they said, ‘If you have another great season we’ll give you a big bonus, redo your contract,’ and then it didn't transpire. I don’t know, but I suppose we’ll find out at some point.”
The episode was recorded before but aired after Isak’s bombshell statement on Tuesday, where he finally spoke out on the situation. He had failed to attend the Professional Footballers' Association awards ceremony, where he was named in the Premier League team of the season.
Isak took to Instagram to release a statement explaining his absence, suggesting once more that he has no intention of representing Newcastle again. He seemed to confirm Shearer's theory by claiming that "promises have been broken" and "trust has been lost" between the club and player.
He posted: "I've kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken. That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn't reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors. The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time.
"To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading. When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. That's where things are for me right now - and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself."
Newcastle quickly issued a response to his comments, stating: “We are disappointed to have been alerted to a social media post by Alexander Isak this evening. We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer.
“We want to keep our best players, but we also understand players have their own wishes and we listen to their views. As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired.
"We do not foresee those conditions being met. This is a proud football club with proud traditions and we strive to retain our family feel. Alex remains part of our family and will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his team-mates.”
There is some speculation over how the relationship has rapidly deteriorated. Reports suggest the Newcastle striker was promised a mammoth new contract by Amanda Staveley, however, she and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi sold their stake in the club to the Saudi Public Investment Fund in July 2024.
It's claimed Paul Mitchell, who later joined as the club's sporting director, ended contract talks with the player, believing the three years left on his agreement meant he didn't need a new one.
Another theory is that Isak has been let down by the club's direction and lack of ambition. It has undoubtedly been a disappointing summer recruitment-wise for Eddie Howe, having missed out on a number of top targets, when Isak would have wanted to see the club invest in new players to match his ambition of competing for elite trophies.
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