2 days ago
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New Liverpool signing Alexander Isak has been branded "unprofessional" by Paul Scholes after his switch from Newcastle.
The Reds are also under fire for allegedly prompting the striker to push for the move, following a contentious saga that concluded on Monday. Liverpool announced Isak's signing just past the deadline, having pursued the player throughout the summer.
Despite Newcastle's firm position on not selling the 25-year-old, the club's resolve softened as Isak trained separately from the first team and was absent from preseason matches. It's believed the Magpies eventually agreed to sell Isak to Liverpool once a £125 million ($169 million) transfer fee was agreed between the two Premier League clubs.
Newcastle's acquisitions of Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart and Yoane Wissa from Brentford – both players who, like Isak, were keen to depart – set the stage for renewed talks, with Isak eventually making the move to Merseyside.
While lauding Marc Guehi's professionalism, former Manchester United midfielder Scholes has expressed disapproval of Isak's conduct.
Guehi's potential transfer to Liverpool fell through on deadline day when Crystal Palace couldn't secure a replacement in time.
"You would say Alexander Isak and Yoane Wissa have done it the wrong way, but they've still got what they wanted," said Scholes.
"Marc Guehi is a great example of doing it the right way – he's playing, he's training – he might still get his move to Liverpool in the future.
"You don't like it (as a fan) – it's unprofessional (when a player forces a move).
"You should be training every day, playing, and helping your team for the first three games of the season, exactly as Guehi has done."
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, Scholes added: "You can see it from a players' point of view as well because they want the move.
"Liverpool would have been putting pressure of Isak and said, 'We've bid this amount of money and it's a brilliant amount of money for you, now you've got to try and kick off a little bit.'
"You can say no to that.
"But if you're desperate for the move, you'd do it."
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