The issue of Alexander Isak’s future was never far away from the headlines this summer, with the transfer saga between Newcastle United and Liverpool running right until the final minutes of the transfer window.
The Reds eventually got their man, sealing a £125million move for the Swedish striker, but not until he had effectively gone on strike at St James’ Park, training alone at his former club Real Sociedad, before accusing the club of breaking a promise that he could leave the club.
This deadlock was eventually broken when the Magpies secured a replacement in Nick Woltemade, which effectively gave Isak the green light to make the move to Merseyside.
Chris Waddle on Isak’s Newcastle spell and departure
Former Newcastle star Chris Waddle has looked back at Isak’s time at his former club and the messy divorce that followed.
“He wasn’t a world beater at that stage – many had never heard of him,” Waddle tells FourFourTwo about Isak’s arrival in the Premier League. “It was a massive outlay for an unproven striker with a bit of a chequered past. He had a lot to prove.”
Isak got to work quickly, scoring his first Premier League goal in a narrow defeat at Anfield.
“It was a cracking strike and a brilliant way to introduce himself to the Newcastle fans,” recalls Waddle, who FourFourTwo ranked at no. 10 in a list of the best English midfielders ever.
“He was the type of player that Geordies adore in their team. He’s an entertainer, a goalscorer, a proper No.9. Newcastle fans have always loved those players.”
Isak’s Toon career peaked last season when he scored what proved to be the winning goal in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, helping to deliver the club’s first major trophy since 1969.
“It was a brilliant day in Newcastle’s history,” smiles Waddle. “Isak was exceptional all the way through the competition. He scored against Chelsea and Arsenal en route to the final, then finished the job against Liverpool. Big goals against big teams.”
But just five months later, that relationship had soured
“I don’t like all this player power, and how he handled himself was poor,” says Waddle. “If he wanted to leave, he should have made it clear to everybody from the off – I think people would have respected that more. Newcastle fans have every right to be frustrated. He handled it the wrong way.
“It was no surprise to see how hurt [the fans] were by all of it,” laments Waddle. “Isak was absolutely worshipped on Tyneside. The fans stuck by him during his various injuries – and there were a lot of them – and Eddie Howe helped turn him into a world beater. They all deserved better than that.”
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