Newcastle United have surprisingly been urged to cash in on record signing Alexander Isak this summer with one observer suggesting he is too injury prone and with Liverpool or Manchester United touted as potential destinations.
The Sweden striker moved to St James’ Park in summer 2022, the Magpies paying a club-record £63m for the 24-year-old striker. Now in his second season as a Newcastle player, Isak is one of the first names on their teamsheet having established himself as Eddie Howe’s first choice No 9 ahead of Callum Wilson.
A huge fans’ favourite, Isak has scored 29 goals in 59 appearances so far, operating at close to a goal every other game. However, having only featured in 27 games last season, the Sweden international has something of a chequered fitness record, having spent several spells on the sidelines.
The worst of those saw the 44-times capped star miss 106 days from September 2022 to January 2023, while he has also suffered with groin injuries during his time in the North-East.
And with Newcastle walking a tight financial tightrope due to FFP regulations, it’s been reported on more than one occasion that the Magpies may need to cash in on more than one big-name star to help balance the books and fund a summer spending spree.
To that end, Arsenal have been strongly linked with a move for Isak, amid claims a £70m offer could tempt them to cash in. Those rumours have been fuelled by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who has confirmed the former Borussia Dortmund man is on Mikel Arteta’s radar.
Nonetheless, TEAMtalk sources have informed us that Eddie Howe is determined to hang on to the Magpies No 14 and would prefer to sell a number of his fringe stars instead.
Newcastle told to sell Isak; Liverpool, Man Utd touted as suitors
Nonetheless, former Newcastle defender Jose Enrique has urged Howe to think twice and feels that, given the player’s questionable injury record, he is someone the club should be looking to cash in on – especially given the club-record £70m fee being bandied about.
“The problem with Alexander Isak, and we’ve said this about him even when he was at Real Sociedad, is that he’s always injured,” Enrique, who played for Newcastle between 2007 and 2011, told Grosvenor Sport.
“The way Newcastle want to play is with high intensity and pressing from the front and you can’t be expected to fulfil that if you’re getting three or four injuries every year.
“Callum Wilson has exactly the same problem, by the way. He misses far too many games too. If someone comes along and offers them the £70m that they spent to sign him in the first place then they need to think about it.
“I don’t understand how the owners with all their money have come along and bought the club yet they’re not being allowed to spend like Manchester City and Chelsea have done in the past. The reality is that they’re performing badly against FFP regulations and are going to have to sell someone.
“It’s not just a question of quality. I think Isak is that good that he can play for Liverpool or Manchester United, for example. But it’s a question of availability too.
“He’s too injury prone, to the extent that if someone came with a lot of money this summer which gave Newcastle the opportunity to sign someone slightly worse but consistently fit, they’d have to consider that option.”
Isak makes clear wish over Newcastle future
Despite that questionable injury record, Isak has still managed to score 19 goals in all competitions this season, and with 15 in 23 Premier League games, he is the competition’s joint-sixth top scorer this term.
While Enrique’s judgement could be considered questionable at best – that’s the very definition of flawed logic right there – luckily for Newcastle the player himself is in no immediate hurry to leave.
Howe has also made clear his wish to keep the player, stating recently: “He’s an outstanding talent and no one connected with Newcastle would want to lose him.
