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Micky Quinn has accused Alexander Isak of 'spitting his dummy [pacifier] out' after being distracted by interest from Liverpool. The ex-Newcastle United forward believes that if the Swedish international is discontent at the club, it's time for him to leave.
Quinn, who donned the Newcastle shirt over 100 times and was named Player of the Year in his first season following a 32-goal haul in the old Second Division, hails from Everton and has been a lifelong Reds supporter.
Despite his roots, Newcastle remains dear to Quinn, with regular trips to St James' Park throughout the season. This gives Quinn a rather unique insight into the current predicament, having allegiances to both sides.
While on talkSPORT Breakfast's Friday programme, Quinn spoke about what he later termed a "mess". With a hint of sarcasm, he commented: "It's not like a professional footballer to have a tantrum and spit his dummy out when a big club comes in for him."
Reflecting on Newcastle's recent success, he added: "On the back of last year, when Newcastle won the League Cup, got that monkey off the back winning the trophy, securing Champions League football again, I thought they'd secure all their best players for at least another season.
"I'm very surprised that Isak has spat his dummy out, he seems usually a cool, calm and collected kid, but he's had his head turned. In football, you know what happens there.
"It's just a mess at the moment. I didn't think Liverpool would buy him because I thought when Liverpool made an initial approach, Newcastle said he's not for sale."
Quinn also recognized: "He wants to be earning £250-£300k-a-week, which he's not on at Newcastle," before declaring: "They definitely either need to nail Isak down for next year, or if he's not happy, I'm afraid he's gotta go."
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Isak has already told Newcastle he wants to leave the club, with some reports suggesting he does indeed want a move to Liverpool this summer.
Newcastle has maintained throughout the summer that the striker is not for sale, although there are signs that the club's stance may be softening, with potential replacements already being eyed up.
The decision of whether or not the Magpies will sell Isak will reportedly come down to the club's chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who is said to have taken the call out of manager Eddie Howe's hands.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here.
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