Alan Shearer reveals Alexander Isak meeting as U-turn leaves him with Newcastle theory

Daily Mirror

3 hours ago

Alan Shearer has revealed what he took away from meeting Alexander Isak several months ago prior to the striker's ongoing stand-off with Newcastle over a transfer move away
Alan Shearer suspects a major disagreement has unfolded behind the scenes for Alexander Isak to force a move away from Newcastle. Isak is currently in the midst of a stand-off with Newcastle as he tries to orchestrate a transfer from the club he joined three years ago and won the Carabao Cup with last season.
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The 25-year-old was not involved in the team's pre-season training camp and tour of Asia due to the uncertainty about his future. After expressing his wish to leave Newcastle, the striker was the subject of a £110million bid from Liverpool earlier this month, which the north east club immediately turned down.
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He has since been training on his own and missed the Magpies' Premier League opener against Aston Villa, which ended in a goalless draw despite Villa being down to 10 men. The club's hierarchy maintain they will only let their star player go if another club meets their valuation of him, believed to be around £150m, given that he is contracted until 2028.
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Newcastle icon Shearer discussed the summer's biggest transfer saga in the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, with the situation expected to continue on until the window shuts on September 1.
The legendary striker revealed he had a detailed conversation with Isak earlier this year. At that time, he didn't sense any desire from the player to leave - leading him to believe something has seriously upset the Swedish international since then.
Shearer recalled: 'I sat down with him five or six months ago and I didn't see this in him, to be honest. I thought he was a manager's dream the way he spoke about his life and was talking about the club. So obviously, something has massively upset him and we don't know what.
That led Gary Lineker to theorise: 'These things are always behind closed doors so there could have been a point maybe a year ago where they said, 'If you have another great season we'll give you a big bonus, redo your contract', and then it didn't transpire. I don't know, but I suppose we'll find out at some point.'
The episode was filmed before but released after Isak dropped a bombshell statement on Tuesday night, breaking his silence on the matter. On the night, Isak had failed to attend the Professional Footballers' Association awards gala, where he was named in the Premier League team of the season.
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The Swede took to Instagram to post a statement explaining why, indicating that he will not play for Newcastle again. He seemingly confirmed Shearer's suspicions by saying "promises have been broken" and "trust has been lost" between the club and player.
Isak wrote: "I've kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken. That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn't reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors.
"The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time. To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading.
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"When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. That's where things are for me right now - and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself."
Newcastle swiftly responded to his comments with their own statement, stating: 'We are disappointed to have been alerted to a social media post by Alexander Isak this evening. We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer.
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'We want to keep our best players, but we also understand players have their own wishes and we listen to their views. As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired. We do not foresee those conditions being met.
'This is a proud football club with proud traditions and we strive to retain our family feel. Alex remains part of our family and will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his teammates.'
There is some speculation as to how the relationship has soured. Reports suggest the Newcastle striker was promised a mammoth new contract by Amanda Staveley, but Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi sold their stake in the club to the Saudi Public Investment Fund in July 2024.
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It is claimed Paul Mitchell, who later joined as the club's sporting director, immediately cancelled talks with the player, believing the three years left on his contract meant he didn't need a new one.
Another theory is that Isak has been let down by the club's direction and lack of ambition. It has undoubtedly been a disappointing summer recruitment-wise for Eddie Howe, having missed out on a number of top targets, when Isak would have wanted to see the club invest in new players to match his ambition of competing for elite trophies.