Certainty don’t think he’s feeling too down about his professional career, earning £120kpw, back in the CL, gets on well this his team mates, idolised by the fans, delivered Newcastle’s first trophy for 70 years. Also don’t think its as black and white as should have signed for 4 years. It might have been 6 or stay at Porto. He is reportedly annoyed at not receiving a new contract from the Toon though.
Re Gulf state - suspect he’s not struggling to sleep at night, like all other players in these teams. Heck, I’d rather play for them than some cunts like Real Madrid.
The only thing that I find strange is that the narrative was always that we’d only make an approach if we felt we had a chance or had some encouragement, Hughes and Howe are friends blah blah. Then they tell us he’s not for sale, which we already knew, and… that’s it? Why did we even bother then.
Because people change their tune once a potential price is put in front of them, especially if it is more than they were expecting.
We had an apartment for sale at work recently with an asking price of £3.15M. Had been on the market for some time without much interest. After 1 viewing, the client was talking about making an offer of £3.12M when a 2nd bidder offered £3.145M which was accepted. Deal got completed
Original bidder got pissed as he really wanted the apartment and new owner wasn’t willing to hear any offers, original bidder ended up coming back 6 months later and offered £3.6M which suddenly got the owners attention as they stood to make a conciderable profit in 6 months without having to actually do anything.
There would have been encouragement from the player’s camp. There may even have been a willingness to engage from one of the Newcastle parties. Although Newcastle’s public position has been that he was not for sale, we don’t know what was being said behind the scenes and one of the articles I think @Livvy linked to put forward several reasons that could indicate Newcastle’s position was more to have the high ground in any negotiation than it was to keep the player (no contract discussions initiated by the club, Howe’s preferred formation while at the club, potential financial pressures from FFP limiting their ability to manoeuvre in the transfer market.
I think one reading of events could be that Howe may have been open to the move if he could bring in Ekitike and Wissa for example, and have the added financial space to work in for other signings that a sale of Isak would have given them - but the owner refused to agree to the sale.
And, as @limiescouse has said Newcastle have seen their DoF and CEO step down which might have prompted a change in their position over Isak or at least leave them open to considering bids.
I think we would have been his preferred option by far anyway, would you rather be the starting striker for the champions or Isak’s understudy at Newcastle.
You can’t assume everyone at a club is on the same page.
I have a theory - no evidence or anything, just a feeling - that there were people on the footballing side at Newcastle who were open to the deal. Because ostensibly it’s the sensible thing for a team in their position to do. They take the £130m and reinvest it in 2-3 prayers and give themselves some PSR wriggle room, like we did with Coutinho.
I think it may have been shut down by the owner, who are more operating from a position of pride, and not wanting to have their best player go to a team they consider to be a rival.
Which is almost exactly the case at Liverpool over Barca’s initial pursuit of Phil. Klopp was pragmatic and was willing to move on, maybe influenced by his position of Dortmund of accepting life where your best players are constantly taken. But the bosses put their down out of principle, and out of a show of commitment to Jurgen.
And then Barca came back with stupid money 6 months later.
There’s also fan sentiment to consider. They weren’t happy when ASM was sold, and I reckon they’d be apoplectic selling the best striker in England to a rival when they have CL football next season.
I think they’re probably right to take this position for now, and we were right to make the approach.
