Since arriving at Newcastle in the summer of 2022, Alexander Isak has become arguably the most talked about — and most wanted — striker in modern football.
On the latest episode of “The Athletic FC Podcast”, Ayo Akinwolere, Newcastle reporter Chris Waugh and Jacob Whitehead discussed why Newcastle are actually in a strong position to keep Isak despite reports linking him away from the club this summer.
A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on YouTube below or in “The Athletic FC Podcast” feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Ayo: Earlier this week, in a call with local journalists, Newcastle United CEO Darren Eales explained that it ‘would be crazy for the club to consider selling their best players’. Chris, you were part of that group of journalists who spoke to Eales via video call. Can you tell us a little bit more about the context of what he was talking about?
Chris: You have to rewind to January last year when Darren Eales did a similar video call around the release of Newcastle’s accounts. At that point, it wasn’t explicitly clear how difficult Newcastle’s PSR situation was. He was asked whether every player in a PSR world had a price, and he said, “Yes,” and it felt like Newcastle were almost ready and willing to accept potential offers. With what happened last summer when Newcastle had to scramble around to make the best part of £70million before the June 30 deadline, it was clear they had to consider all options.
Alexander Isak was the one player they wanted to avoid losing, but there was fear at one stage they might have to. Fast forward 13 months and it’s a different situation. Newcastle have sorted out their PSR situation to a certain degree. They still have limitations, as all clubs do, but they now feel they’re in a far stronger position. Isak will have three years remaining on his contract come the summer and the club intend to open contract negotiations with him about potentially extending and improving that deal. When you speak to people high up in Newcastle, they say, “How would you replace Alexander Isak?”
Even if someone comes in and makes an offer for him, he is the one player where you may as well give up and go home if you’re going to consider losing him this summer. He is integral to everything Newcastle do. They took a gamble on him in the first place and his value has appreciated significantly during that time. When Newcastle look at it, they feel they are in a strong position because he still has three years left on his deal and there isn’t a release clause in his contract. When you think about it, who is going to make Newcastle an offer they feel they’ll be unable to refuse? The caveat to that is it depends on how Isak feels. Getting into the Champions League feels vital to keeping him happy and making sure the club are showing their ambition to him going forward. But at the same time, if Newcastle hold firm, you’d be very much looking at a price in excess of £100million. And in a PSR and UEFA Financial Fair Play world, can clubs afford to invest that much? Only very few can, therefore Newcastle feel emboldened by being in that position.
From a Newcastle fans’ perspective, and the club internally, there’s a frustration that it’s almost like, ‘Alexander Isak’s done well for Newcastle, but he has to move elsewhere’. Darren Eales described it as “Newcastle almost being seen as the next category down”. We know this ownership said on the record they want to be number one. PSR and various other reasons mean the trajectory will take longer than anticipated, but the Newcastle fans feel it’s disparaging to assume he must leave. This is no disrespect to Arsenal, but why would he go to Arsenal? I know Arsenal have theoretically been competing for the Premier League this season, but if he goes there, is that suddenly going to guarantee he would have a chance of winning the Ballon d’Or? Arsenal are likely to be in the Champions League every season and Newcastle aren’t quite at that stage, but there’s a lot of frustration from some Newcastle fans who feel certain elements of the media — and I realise we are the media, too, I’m just using that as a wider catchall term — have this campaign that he must leave the club.
This isn’t just a Newcastle and Isak issue, this happens with other clubs when they have players who are considered elite and there seem to be campaigns to move them on. I’m sure that’s not the motivation, but that’s where the frustration comes from. But it’s up to Newcastle to prove to Isak that they have the ambition to match his. One way of doing that would certainly be to get back into the Champions League this season because that’s where he wants to play. That also financially gives them a better opportunity to reimburse him in the way he deserves given he’s now among the best strikers in the world.
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(Top photo: Michelle Mercer/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
