Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has revealed that the club’s failure to keep promises has led to a breakdown of trust, making an exit from the club his best interest.
Isak, 25, was left out of the club’s preseason tour of Asia and has been training away from his teammates and has been in a stand-off with the Magpies over an exit.
Despite expressing his desire to leave, Newcastle rejected a £110 million offer for the striker from Liverpool earlier in the summer. The Sweden striker also missed the Magpies league opener against Aston Villa on Saturday and is unwilling to feature anymore for the club.
He missed Tuesday’s PFA awards ceremony, despite being named in the team of the year category amid ongoing saga with Newcastle.
“First and foremost I want to thank my teammates and everyone at Newcastle United who has supported me along the way,” he wrote on Tuesday. “I’m not at the ceremony tonight. With everything going on, it didn’t feel right to be there.”
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”, he continued.
“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.
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”, Isak’s concluded his statement.
In response to Isak’s social media outburst, Newcastle United revealed the striker was not allowed to leave the club as the conditions of a sale were not met, while opening the door for a return.
“We want to keep our best players, but we also understand players have their own wishes and we listen to their views”, the club revealed.
“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”, the Magpies continued.
“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.”
With few days until the end of the transfer window, Isak’s transfer remains an exciting one to watch out for.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
