2 months ago
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Liverpool's chances of signing Alexander Isak look to be decreasing with each passing day. Not due to any fault of the Anfield sporting hierarchy, but because Newcastle has hit dead ends at every turn in its search for a viable replacement.
After drawing a blank on Benjamin Sesko, the stance making its way through to the public appeared to harden. The Magpies, after all, can hardly go into the campaign relying on Will Osula, and they have already burned through their list of main targets at breakneck speed.
Even so, some remain optimistic that Arne Slot will be able to bring in Isak before the end of the transfer window, further bolstering attacking options after departures for Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz. Indeed, one respected industry figure believes that a move remains inevitable.
The fact remains that Isak has three years left on his deal. Noises from his camp have indicated that he has no interest in ever playing for Newcastle again, but the Saudi owners are well within their rights to call that particular bluff — he is not the first to use such nuclear language, but he would be among the first to follow through.
However, while Newcastle might be able to physically keep him in the building, and probably even get him back onto the pitch, there are the squad dynamics to think about. Ultimately, you can only fully understand those when you have been there and experienced it.
One man with more experience than most is Harry Redknapp. The veteran manager was speaking exclusively with BetVictor Casino, and the conversation turned to Isak.
"I see Alexander Isak going, he's got to go," Rednkapp revealed. "Suddenly he’s not gone on a pre-season trip, who do they think they're kidding about him having a slight strain?
"It’s disappointing for the Newcastle fans, I think they've got to let him go. Do you want him back there if doesn’t want to be there?
“Suddenly Newcastle have got to go and give him another 100 grand a week or so to keep him happy. If I was a manager, I'd think no, you don't need that in the team.
"I think Eddie Howe takes the money, he'd get around £130million ($177 million) and they can go and bring in a couple of players that can make the team stronger all round."
Of course, the issue has been Newcastle's failure to get adequate replacements through the door. But Redknapp is worth listening to regarding the difficulties of reintegration.
Isak is bound to have put some of his own teammates' noses out of joint. As for the St. James' Park faithful, they will find it even harder to forgive and forget.
Avoiding that toxic situation, and coming out the other side with somewhere near that $177 million figure, could certainly be construed as the best outcome now for Newcastle. Despite the chastening transfer failures, there are still viable targets out there: the pursuit of Samu Aghehowa appears shrewd, for instance.
But it remains to be seen whether Newcastle will follow the pure footballing logic that guides someone like Redknapp. The club is now, after all, a Saudi prestige project — the optics of being bullied out of a star player might ultimately be more important than sporting considerations, especially without a CEO or sporting director currently on the scene to set a clear strategy.
Liverpool has Richard Hughes in that latter role, and all he can do is continue to play the waiting game. Only Newcastle can decide if and when Isak's situation has become untenable — but Redknapp believes that point could be on the horizon.
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