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The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Anger at Alexander Isak reveals biggest regret from summer transfer saga
Villa Park was emptying when a chant emerged from a corner. 'One greedy ba*****,' they sang, and it wasn't the Aston Villa fans referring to the £77 price of tickets in the Holte End for a 0-0 draw. Alexander Isak, unnamed but the object of the Newcastle supporters' ire, may object to both the noun and the adjective. He might argue that ambition, not avarice, is driving his attempts to leave Newcastle. He will get his way. The issue is when; where, too, depending on if his departure comes in this transfer window, January's or next summer's. By then, Anfield may not be the destination. One weekend does not mean plans are ripped up and nine-figure bids abandoned, but the early evidence is that Newcastle need Isak rather more than Liverpool do. There was a sliding-doors scenario whereby Isak had been allowed to go to Liverpool because Newcastle secured Hugo Ekitike. Instead, the Frenchman is Anfield's new darling. Newcastle can congratulate themselves on their ability to identify high-class strikers and lament their inability to sign them – since Isak, anyway. Now Newcastle have the worst of all worlds: without Isak's services, without a replacement, without an injection of around £110m, without any goals at Villa Park. Eddie Howe praised the players who had made themselves available but, by invoking the word 'distraction', he conceded there was one. Howe called for a 'resolution'. In one respect, he is guaranteed one within 15 days. The transfer window will close and when Howe said the door was open for Isak, he meant to come back into the fold. The striker may have checked out mentally – and moved out physically, from his house in the north-east – but contractually he is still in. Howe has said a lot while saying a little. A recurring theme is that the situation is out of his hands. Yet that could be construed in different ways. 'Alex has to decide what he wants to do. He is in control of what he does,' his manager said on Saturday. But only in the sense that Isak could opt to come out of his self-imposed exile; he is not in control of an exit. Not mentioned as explicitly, but with their own form of control over Isak's destiny, are Howe's ultimate employers, Newcastle's owners. Yasir Al-Rumayyan and the Saudi Arabian PIF have adopted an uncompromising stance so far; they may be a regime unaccustomed to backing down. Perhaps Liverpool have not endeared themselves to a club they hope to raid – signing Ekitike, noting that Newcastle also wanted Giovanni Leoni – which could make them still more determined not to grant the Premier League champions their wishes. So it would represent a U-turn if Newcastle suddenly opted to sell. Some would say that, of everyone, the club that had the tag of the world's richest has the least need to. Yet Howe raised the subject of PSR at Villa Park; it has been a constraint on their spending and Newcastle would have considerable leeway if they cashed in on Isak. That said, they are struggling to spend on strikers, regardless of budget. One interpretation is that Isak is bringing his price down, his actions rendering it less likely that Newcastle can command £150m. Yet he is not in the strongest bargaining position. If Newcastle do not relent, the eventual verdict on his summer may be that he miscalculated: by making his efforts to go public knowledge, he alienated the Newcastle public; by stepping up his attempts to leave when Arsenal were closing in on Viktor Gyokeres and Liverpool on Ekitike, he may regret not being more militant earlier in the summer. Has he misread Newcastle? Would he have been better coming to an arrangement where he was permitted to go in 2026 for an agreed fee? If he stays against his wishes, it will be instructive if he has burnt his (Tyne) bridges. The relationship with the fans who used to borrow from Abba to sing about a 'striker from Sweden' has altered irrevocably. Perhaps it can be patched up, but the love feels gone. Two players scored in the final as Newcastle won their first trophy since 1969, which should have secured legendary status. One, Dan Burn, is a lifelong fan. The other soon sought to join the beaten finalists. If Isak is proof that football can be fickle, he is not alone in that. He scored 21 and 23 goals in the last two Premier League seasons. If he is reintegrated, if there is a pragmatic recognition that he is stuck at St James' Park, and finds similar form, supporters may celebrate his goals, and maybe even the player himself, without the love really returning, and Newcastle will benefit in the short term. But if so, will Liverpool have blinked first in the Isak impasse and brought in another attacker, rather than sitting and waiting? So someone won't get their perfect resolution. Perhaps no one will. But the greatest risk may be for Isak himself. He might not get his, whether now or even next year. He might have played his last game for Newcastle. He may not enjoy the soundtrack in their next game. Because they face Liverpool and it feels a certainty that he will line up for neither of the clubs at a standstill in a tug of war.
BBC News
22 minutes ago
- BBC News
Two Everton players to watch out for this season
BBC Sport's TV and radio commentators have picked two Everton players who will be worth watching out for in the next few Barry Age: 22 Position: Striker Country: France Guy Mowbray: Having checked his numbers and seen a few clips online, I'm really hoping he can make a big - and quick - impact for be raw certainly, but the talent is undoubtedly there for David Moyes to work about time Everton had a strong centre-forward who can consistently deliver again. Dixie Dean, Tommy Lawton, Joe Royle, Bob Latchford, Andy Gray, Duncan Ferguson... Thierno Barry?And if he doesn't fire - how about Beto to step up as a bit of a wildcard himself?!Harrison Armstrong Age: 18 Position: Midfield Country: England Steve Bower: Given Everton's frustrations in the summer market, Blues fans are hoping one of their own has an opportunity to make an impact.I saw Harrison Armstrong start at Goodison in the FA Cup win over Peterborough in January before a productive loan spell in the Championship with Derby County. Still only 18, he offers versatility in the attacking have to be patient, but he'll be hoping to follow the likes of Ross Barkley and Anthony Gordon in taking his opportunity when it about more players to watch here
The Independent
24 minutes ago
- The Independent
Transfer news live: Liverpool set Isak deadline, Spurs accelerate Eze bid, Donnarumma to Man Utd update
Liverpool are running out of time to complete a move for Newcastle United 's wantaway striker Alexander Isak with just two weeks to go before the transfer window closes. The Reds still hold an interest in Isak, who was absent from Newcastle's opening weekend draw at Aston Villa on Saturday, but they will need to spend big money to secure him. The club also remain in talks with Crystal Palace over Marc Guehi and the London side may want to cash in before his contract expires next summer. Tottenham Hotspur are hoping to pull off a £55m deal for Eberechi Eze after taking the lead over Arsenal in the race to sign the Crystal Palace winger. Eze started Palace's Premier League opener against Chelsea on Sunday even as negotiations ramp up over his future, with Spurs keen to add to their squad after James Maddison's injury and Son Heung Min's departure. Manchester United have spent big on new forwards and may rival Manchester City for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – particularly after Altay Bayindir's error in the 1-0 defeat against Arsenal and Andre Onana's absence from the squad. They will need to make some sales with Jadon Sancho being targeted by Besiktas and Roma, Antony wanted by Benfica and Chelsea interested in Alejandro Garnacho. Liverpool set deadline in pursuit of Alexander Isak The saga that has rolled on for most of the summer concerns Alexander Isak, Newcastle and Liverpool. The Premier League champions submitted a £110m bid for Newcastle's main forward but that was rejected out of hand and the Reds moved to sign Hugo Ekitike. They have remained interested in Isak but the weekend's results prove that Newcastle need his services more than Liverpool do. The latest in this move is that Liverpool have made Isak their priority for the closing weeks of the window but want the deal done sooner than later. They've set a deadline of next week to get an agreement done with Newcastle otherwise they will move on to other targets. Mike Jones18 August 2025 07:53 Good morning! Welcome to The Independent's coverage of the latest transfer news. The opening weekend of the Premier League season was eye-opening for many clubs as the areas in which they need to improve were on display. Manchester United will be ruing Altay Bayindir's goalkeeping error against Arsenal while Liverpool will be considering whether they need another forward after Hugo Ekitike's impressive debut. Mike Jones18 August 2025 07:50
