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Eddie Howe was always wary about the idea that Alexander Isak’s exit from Newcastle United set an unwelcome precedent.
After a summer on strike, Isak managed to force Newcastle United to sell him to Liverpool for a British record fee.
Was selling Isak in the manner they did where the wheels started to come off for PIF at Newcastle?
Credit: Getty Images/Michael Driver/MI News/NurPhoto/Ryan Pierse
Now, Isak wanting to leave Newcastle United wasn’t the issue, it was the manner with which he went about it.
Still, one could argue that the striker was vindicated. His actions ultimately forced the club to soften their stance on the final day of a transfer window in which they stressed he wasn’t leaving.
For his part, Howe is said to have been concerned about the message that sent.
Howe worried that Isak has set an unwelcome example at Newcastle
Indeed, key players are expected to leave Newcastle this summer.
While there is absolutely no suggestion that any of them will go to the lengths that Isak did, it doesn’t mean every top player on the club’s books will want to stay on Tyneside after a difficult campaign which looks unlikely to yield Champions League football next time out.
Do you think PIF have lost interest in Newcastle United? 🤔
Credit: James Gill – Danehouse/Stu Forster via Getty Images
According to The Athletic, Howe was always concerned that Isak’s former teammates and their agents could take heart from how he got what he wanted.
If some of the current squad were that way inclined, they could feasibly try and copy what Isak did to try and facilitate a similar outcome. Again, that’s not to say that any of them will, just that Howe’s concern is hardly unwise.
Photo by George Wood/Getty ImagesNewcastle United’s response in the post-Isak era
Thankfully, lessons do appear to have been learned.
Earlier this week, Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson insisted that any player the club sell would be on their terms from now on.
He said (via BBC Sport): “If an Isak-like scenario presents itself again, any player under contract is going to leave on our terms.
“We’re going to maximise the opportunity that might represent for the club.”
That is promising to hear, but it’s unclear as to how that would play out. Newcastle tried to get Isak to stay on their terms, but they still had to make a major U-turn. Actions will speak much louder than words.
It does seem as if players will be leaving this summer. Hopefully, things don’t get quite as toxic as they did with Isak.
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