Original article: Newcastle only have themselves to blame for farce over wantaway Alexander Isak – The Irish Times
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Shameful to be bidding for a player so late in the window and not immediately giving the other club exactly what they want.
Talk about a scattergun summer.
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I’m beginning to question our approach more than Newcastle’s. We seem perfectly happy to wait until the last minute for Isak (and Guehi) as if it’s a sure thing.
If for whatever reason it doesn’t come to fruition, we’ll spend the next 4 months with a fewer option in the attacking lineup after our most expensive summer ever. Not exactly the hallmark of prudent recruiting, on the contrary, this is something that United would do and rightfully get ridiculed for.
On the other hand, this may be a risk we’re willing to take in order to land Isak; but on the outside looking in, it looks like an unnecessary gamble. Perhaps we’re starting to get too cute for our own sake.
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Sorry but I disagree. Apparently their terms for sale isn’t just the value but getting two strikers in.
What happens if we met their new valuation of 150m, remember it was 130m or was assumed to be before we made a bid.
They going reject that because they want to low ball Brentford on Wissa and have missed out on about 7 players. From what we know that bid was probably given as a start of negotiations only for Newcastle not to even entertain it. At that point we stopped bothering.
Man Utd would talk about signing a player, put a bid in that’s not even close to what the deal is, wail about it for months and then sign him the day before the window closes for far more than the original fee disclosed. If Newcastle were actually willing to do a deal for 150m I expect we would have been in dialogue about trying to get something like that but inclusive of add ons, but it’s not just that it’s also material to them being able achieve something they haven’t been able to do.
I do think we should have gone on elsewhere and let them two deal with it.
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As far as Isak is concerned, and Elliot is still around, I’d say that it is sound. Isak is a luxury player, and given the insane amount of money he’s apparently worth, we can wait until January if must be (but keep Elliot in that case, please!).
For Guehi, it’s totally different. We absolutely need him or someone of that stature before the window closes. So, concerning Guehi and the way we approach this transfer, I’m totally with you. Also, the season is now well underway, and he’ll have had zero preparation time with us. Not the best way to prepare us for the season ahead.
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One thing we all have to be aware of after reading this article from a reputable source is that this is NOT a replacement for Isak but for Callum Wilson, who was released a few months ago. Meanwhile, Isak is NOT expected to leave Newcastle and if even he leaves, which he’s NOT expected to, he’s NOT going to leave without a big name replacement coming in and he’s certainly NOT going to be cheap, even if he’s NOT going to leave in the first place.
I’d be pissing myself laughing if this whole situation and narrative fed by Newcastle’s mouthpieces didn’t impact my club directly.
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Honestly, there is (almost) zero percent chance that Isak joins the club before the end of the transfer window. In January maybe? We’ll see.
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First, I think it’s fair to assume that they are operating with more information than we as fans have. Secondly, they have a longer time frame in mind when building the squad, not just this season so are willing to risk not bringing in a player this window at all if it improves the odds of landing a player towards the top of their list.
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I don’t get people making connections between the Isak situation and Elliott. One is acentre forward and the other is an attacking midfielder. Elliott isnever going to play CF and I’d be surprised, and disappointed to see him in any of the attacking positions. I just don’t see how one affects the other.
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We should be looking to sign a versatile forward/winger regardless of what happens with Isak. It will add some much needed depth while also not exposing us fully on the outcome of the Isak tussle. If Isak comes, so much the better, but it shouldn’t be an all or nothing type of thing.
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Why they keep trying to frame these players as being a replacement for Wilson is beyond me.
The easiest deal to do right now is Jackson and for whatever reason they still haven’t moved for him.
If Isak stays at NUFC, what then? Surely they’ll mount a huge charm offensive to try and get him to reconcile. Will he stand firm and spend four months kicking his heels?
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Exactly. It’s a huge gamble on their part. Perhaps they are willing to take this gamble, say to January, because Isak is the best striker out there and if there is any chance of bringing him back into the fold, they will want a few months to do it.
But Isak has been pretty forthright in saying he is finished at Newcastle, and there are reports that the players are divided over trying to win him back and letting him go/kicking him to touch.
It will be a distraction that overshadows what Howe is trying to do with his team during the season, and it seems ill-advised for Newcastle to hold on to the player.
Wissa/Larsen/Jackson.
Sign two and be done with it.
Wilson played 370 minutes last season. The idea they are signing a 50m striker to replace him is hilarious.
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No one has the luxury of always being able to play from a strong hand. Shit happens and you are forced to respond which often means taking the least worst option. Just like when Ward announced his exit we felt we didnt want to make big financial decisions on the likes of Virgil and Mo without someone in place who was going to be responsible for living with the consequences of those decisions. It was a gamble in that it risked us getting to a place where we’d lose key players for free, but the alterative of moving more quickly was a gamble also.
Newcastle have had their ability to manage these situations similarly undermined by factors outside of their control with a succession of unexpected losses at the executive level. That does not mean they managed the situation well, but once they found themselves with backs against the walls, every path forward was a gamble and they shouldnt be judged their position now being seen as a gamble. What if they took the money early in the window and found themselves with 110 million burning a hole in their pockets?
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Also Wilson left Newcastle at the end of last season and they’ll have known for weeks before that that they weren’t going to agree a new deal.
If they’re still chasing a replacement for him at the end of August no wonder Isak has lost some faith in their project.
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Strength in depht. Elliot has already played as a right winger in replacement for Salah, and as a central attacking midfielder. If we don’t get a new guy in for CF, and Ekitike becomes unavailable for some reason, there is still the possibility to move Salah into the centre, and play Elliot on the right wing. That’s at least how I see it.
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I think it’s more likely that Wirtz plays as a False 9 over moving Mo off of the wing.
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Anyway, there’s very much a PR war being played here by Newcastle. But the fact of the matter is this - can - and will - Isak be reintegrated if they don’t sell him? Look at how the fans have treated him. Look at his public statements. Howe is walking a fine line but it seems clear to me that he’d prefer Isak to be gone.
They’re claiming they can’t sell Isak until they get in a striker to replace him - as if it’s nailed on that he’s going to play for them again if they don’t sell him.
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Don’t see a world in which this doesn’t get done.
Newcastle can’t bank on him coming back into the fold and then they’re not going to want to go through this again in January or next summer.
Brentford aren’t going to want Wissa kicking up a fuss until January either.
As much as everyone worries about how long is left in the window deals can be done in a matter of hours. Happens every deadline day.
I just see all this as posturing and no one wanting to be seen as a soft touch or first to concede ground in negotiations or risk being left short. I highly doubt we don’t have a backup plan (Rodrygo on loan maybe) but we’ll try and hold as long as we can.
Brentford shift position on Wissa, Chelsea drop the price on Jackson as neither want to carry an unhappy/unwanted player into the season. That gives Newcastle the licence to come to the table on Isak and agree a price with us.
It’s not comfortable seeing it run this late but we seem calm about the situation which tells me they’re confident in getting the desired outcome or a decent alternative if the chain needed does indeed break down.
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