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Former Arsenal defender William Gallas believes Newcastle must tread carefully as it tries to handle the future of Alexander Isak, with Liverpool the striker's preferred destination.
Liverpool has already spent close to $400 million on six marquee additions this summer— Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili, and Giovanni Leoni. Yet their business is far from done.
Talks have begun with Crystal Palace over captain Marc Guehi, while interest in Isak remains strong. The Swedish striker has become the centerpiece of the summer transfer window’s biggest saga, having made it clear he wants to trade the Magpies for Anfield.
Gallas believes that Newcastle may have to set a realistic asking price to put an end to the saga or risk having to struggle for the first half of the season without a striker.
"I think what Newcastle tried to do is what Daniel Levy tried to do many times with Gareth Bale and Luka Modric," he told Gambling Zone.
"But with those two, the situation hadn’t come this far. They were still training. They weren’t in the newspapers. They were professional. It wasn’t a saga.
"Newcastle have to be careful. Hugo Ekitike scored twice already, and Liverpool won its game. So they have to be careful about how they handle it from here.
"If Newcastle ask for a ridiculous price, Liverpool could walk away from the table and then you have a situation where the player is in limbo and Newcastle will probably have to accept less money for him in January while also having a weaker squad for the first half of the season."
Gallas also believes that both the club and the player could've handled the situation better. He added: "Sometimes players have to be careful when they decide to move. And if the club does not agree at the beginning and then you try to force that move, you should still train with your teammates.
"Then, afterwards, you speak to the board and you speak to your manager. You tell them you want out, but you’re still training. No problem. The player should always do what he has to do, and shouldn’t give the manager any problems, but everyone knows that you see your future elsewhere. That’s fine, it's your career, and it’s a short one. Communication is key in times like these.
"I think the way Isak has handled this, it looks like he’s been given bad advice from his circle. Simple. (The current situation) That is (a result of) bad advice from his people.
"But at the same time, listen, I won't only blame him because I also think that Newcastle must take some responsibility for what is happening here. I'm not sure I agree with the approach the club has taken.
"The player has scored loads of goals every season. Last season, he hit more than 20 goals. You’re going to double your money for him with Liverpool’s offer.
"He gave everything to Newcastle in those last few years, and sometimes you have to let players leave at that point. It doesn’t seem fair to make his life so hard when a huge offer comes in."
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