Alexander Isak: Why is every striker rejecting Newcastle United?

Newcastle United faced a major setback in their bid to improve their squad further this summer as they have been unable to add a new striker to the group.

They have been in the news over the last few weeks for refusing to allow Alexander Isak to complete his dream move to Liverpool.

The Reds annoyed Newcastle much earlier in the transfer window when they hijacked their move for Hugo Ekitike.

Newcastle has been following Ekitike since he played at Reims and was willing to pay big bucks for him to replace Callum Wilson.

Liverpool offered to allow them to sign the Frenchman if they would sell Isak to them, but Newcastle did not respond, and the Reds hijacked the move.

In classic greediness of the top clubs around the world, Liverpool also wants to sign Isak still and has been pushing to make the move happen.

They have turned the head of the Swedish striker, who has gone on strike and has refused to play for the Magpies until they grant him his wish.

Newcastle were unimpressed by his statements after being named in the PFA Team of the Year, and it now seems impossible that he will be allowed to leave for Liverpool.

Fans who buy Newcastle United tickets want the saga to be over sooner rather than later, and Isak insists he does not want to play for the club again.

The situation is now unpredictable, and it remains unclear if Isak will finally give in and return to play for Newcastle this season.

Why does Newcastle want to keep an unhappy player?

The big question that most people have been asking during this saga is: why does Newcastle want to keep an unhappy player?

Isak alleges that he was promised a summer move and wants the club to keep that promise, but Newcastle denies this, seemingly angry that he even put out a statement asking to leave the club.

The Swede has not used the right approach, but he is not the first player to go on strike or call out their club to leave.

However, the strong statement from Newcastle during the night of the PFA award clearly showed that the club will keep him and does not care if he is unhappy or not. Why would they do that?

The first reason is easy to know, and it is because he is under contract with them and they have the right to keep him until there is a good condition for his departure.

Isak signed a long-term deal when he joined the club in 2022 and did not even ask for a release clause to be added to the deal.

He should fulfil the requirements, but for a team that wants to enter its next level of development as a top English side, this is not good.

As Eddie Howe and many managers will say, they only want to work with a player who is happy to work with them.

Isak’s relationship with Newcastle is now broken, and the striker will have so much to do to reintegrate into the group and win over the fans, especially as they now know it will be a pretence and temporary.

Another reason why Newcastle has not allowed Isak to leave and wants him to stay is that they have not found a replacement.

Depending on who you ask, this might be the main reason why they have not allowed Isak to leave, and it is not going to change soon.

Why are strikers rejecting a move to Newcastle United

As they aim to become a top club in the Premier League, Newcastle has high standards for the striker they want to add to their squad.

Since the summer transfer window opened, they have been trying to sign a world-class frontman to add to their squad.

As we remarked earlier, Newcastle held talks with Eintracht Frankfurt and Ekitike over a move to Saint James’ Park, but Liverpool hijacked the transfer.

Every fan who buys Premier League tickets understands that there is no player around who will pick a move to Newcastle over Liverpool.

The Reds are even defending champions and have added Florian Wirtz to their squad.

After Ekitike turned them down, Newcastle tried to sign Viktor Gyokeres as Arsenal struggled to get the deal over the line with Sporting Club.

However, the Swedish striker rejected them as well because he had made up his mind to join Arsenal, again because the Gunners are a world-class club.

Newcastle then advanced in talks with RB Leipzig to sign Benjamin Sesko, a player Arsenal had wanted to sign as well.

Sesko is a top player, and he would have been a superb replacement for Isak, but when Manchester United heard he could move to Newcastle, they entered the race.

He chose them for obvious reasons, even though Newcastle can offer him Champions League football and United finished close to the relegation zone last term.

These snubs have been painful to Newcastle United, and it could cost Liverpool their dream signing because it is now clear that Newcastle cannot get a player worthy to replace Isak.

In the last few weeks, the likes of Ollie Watkins and Alexander Sorloth have been linked with a move to the club, but it is difficult for Newcastle to sign either.

Both are older than the profile of strikers Newcastle wants to sign to take their team to the next level.

Who will win and lose in this Isak saga?

Isak is one of the players whose performance improved Newcastle United’s form at some stage last season.

However, this saga has rightly affected his relationship with the club, and the smart thing to do might be for both parties to separate.

As Howe admitted in a recent presser, Newcastle will lose either way. If he stays, they will keep an unhappy player at the club, and if he leaves, they will lose one of their best stars in the last few seasons.

Isak might also be a loser because if he is forced to stay, he might never get a chance to join a top club again until the end of his career.

Liverpool has focused on signing him for weeks and could have gone for other targets. If they fail to sign him, they will lose as well.

Everyone stands to lose if Isak stays back at Newcastle, but if he leaves, the striker and Liverpool would be on the winning side, while Newcastle would lose.