Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has blasted his former club for announcing that Alexander Isak would not be part of their preseason tour for injury reasons, just hours before the striker told the Magpies wish to leave.
Mail Sport exclusively reported on Thursday that Isak, who has not travelled with the squad on their preseason tour of the Far East, is keen to leave Newcastle for a new challenge amid interest from Premier League champions Liverpool.
Just hours before the bombshell dropped, Newcastle claimed that Isak was not part of their preseason trip due to a thigh injury – a decision which Shearer has now branded ‘ridiculous’ and ‘disappointing’.
The club said on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Eddie Howe has an almost fully-fit squad to choose from, however Alexander Isak misses out with a minor thigh injury.
‘Lewis Hall is available following an injury lay-off and could feature in South Korea.’
Speaking to Betfair, Shearer said: ‘It’s ridiculous what Newcastle put out this morning to say he wasn’t on the trip because of a slight thigh injury.
‘If they thought people wouldn’t see through that… it was disappointing. They should’ve just told the truth straight away. I understand it’s a very difficult situation for them but it is what it is.
‘Eddie Howe has to use all his persuasive powers to do what he can and try to make him stay at least one more year. If that can’t happen then it is what it is. You have to get the very best deal for the football club and if someone is prepared to pay north of £150million, and if he really, really wants to go, you can’t step in his way.
‘Isak has been brilliant for Newcastle, helped us achieve our dream of winning a trophy and if there’s no way whatsoever that he can be persuaded to stay at Newcastle, then they have to get the best deal possible and if someone’s prepared to pay what they want, you have to say thank you and build for the future.
‘There’s no individual bigger than the football club.’
Leading the line at No 9, Isak helped guide Newcastle to their first major domestic trophy in 70 years, winning the Carabao Cup in March, and qualify for the Champions League with a fifth place finish in the Premier League last term.
Despite the Swede’s wish to leave, Eddie Howe and the Newcastle board are eager to keep Isak at St James’ Park and would like to agree fresh terms with the striker, even if it leads to an exit next summer.
But Shearer has conceded that Isak will likely depart St James’ Park this summer, admitting that the ‘news came out very strongly’.
He added: ‘It sounds like he’s going to leave. The news came out very strongly this morning and when that happens it seems to be a reality.
‘Player’s leave football clubs all the time and get replaced. If that’s the case here, it’s disappointing but you have to say thank you and move on.
‘If Eddie can persuade him to stay, it’ll be great but if he can’t, it’ll be very disappointing because Newcastle would be losing a world class player.’
In total, Isak has scored 62 goals from 109 matches for Newcastle and, under Howe, has developed into one of the most coveted strikers in world football.
Any sale would likely command a British record in excess of the £116m Liverpool paid for Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen last month.
