This isn’t about Alexander Isak. Not really.
As important as it is for Newcastle United to quieten the storm brewing around their world-class striker – Eddie Howe tried his best on Saturday, sending Isak home from Glasgow to shield him from the scrutiny – there is a bigger picture at play here. And it is one that demands some answers from those in charge at St James’ Park.
Isak? This is what happens when you have elite players on your books. Elite teams want them, middle men want a cut of whatever deals might be brokered and agents – especially ones pondering contract talks in the next couple of months – have no reason at all to quieten the chatter around their clients.
So far Newcastle haven’t done a lot wrong on this one. Perhaps they could have got hold of the story a bit earlier last week but the not-for-sale mantra is robust and authentic. They also have a manager smart enough to surf this particular transfer tsunami.
In his first media engagement since the end of the season Howe certainly said all the right things about his star forward. Yes, he chose his words carefully, perhaps experienced enough not to be drawn into offering cast-iron guarantees Isak will stay, but he also gave assurances about the player’s focus and spoke of a determination from boardroom to dugout to keep him.
“Irreplaceable” is how Howe described Isak. “Certainly, I’m confident that he’s going to be here at the start of the season,” he continued.
And the likelihood is Isak probably will still be at Newcastle when the transfer window shuts. Liverpool might have oodles of PSR headroom – the regulations protecting the advantage of established clubs while punishing aspiring teams like Newcastle – but they know it is a tough deal to do. £120m? Try adding another £30m before the Magpies have a decision to make.
That is why the Reds signed Hugo Ekitike instead, a deal that – conveniently – means they can bide their time when it comes to Isak.
Who else signs him now? Arsenal came to the conclusion that it would be too difficult months ago and there’s not many other options.
PIF-owned Al-Hilal were linked on Friday but where to start with that one? Detonating the momentum of the Premier League club in their portfolio by green-lighting a move for their star striker certainly wasn’t part of the grand plan to turbocharge progress which was discussed when club bigwigs met in Northumberland earlier this year.
So my gut feeling is Isak stays but – deep sigh here – with focus shaken, giving Howe a headache at the start of the season.
Those are occupational hazards of having a really good team, though. What is a bigger worry at the moment is strategy – on everything from stadium to recruitment and the executive team. We thought these things would be resolved by now but PIF haven’t got a grip on any of it yet. There have been encouraging soundbites but little action on big ticket stuff.
And this is also the second summer of profound change in the boardroom. They have cycled through two directors of football in 18 months and have a chief executive in Darren Eales who is working his notice. Paul Mitchell came, branded the club’s transfer model not fit for purpose and then left, seemingly catching out Howe with the abruptness of his departure judging by his words on Saturday.
The club have oscillated wildly from one structure that took a chunk of power and responsibility for recruitment – short and long-term – away from Howe, to a new interim arrangement which makes him the biggest and most influential voice on that front, working in tandem with his nephew Andy, who is the club’s assistant head of recruitment.
It doesn’t help that they have struggled to land targets this summer. Ekitike’s move to Liverpool means he joins Dean Hujisen, Liam Delap and Joao Pedro in the list of players Newcastle have made bids for and missed out on. Add Bryan Mbeumo – highly-fancied but never the subject of a formal offer – and James Trafford, too pricey, now possibly heading for Manchester City, and Howe’s summary of the summer as “frustrating” feels like an understatement.
At the moment there is still plenty of time to turn it around but have lessons been learned from 2024? Then they waited for Crystal Palace to buckle on Marc Guehi’s price, standing by their very reasonable offer. But Palace didn’t crumble, and neither have Burnley over Trafford. Brentford aren’t about to do them any favours on Yoane Wissa, even if he is their number one target now.
Tellingly, the Newcastle manager admitted some of their targets weren’t “desperate” enough to play for the club. Should they have known they were down the list of Pedro and Mbeumo’s preferences?
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In their defence they are shopping in a very difficult market – looking for players good enough to improve an excellent team but who fall within the financial constraints imposed on them.
“Financial [considerations] play a huge part, anyone who doesn’t think that’s true is deluded,” Howe admitted.
“I wouldn’t say finances are the number one for every player, it’d be wrong to put that on each and every player, every situation is different, but we can’t and we aren’t the biggest payers in the league because we don’t generate the most income so we have to fall in line with PSR and we have to be very smart with what we do so we have to control the wages that we have. That all plays a part in who we can attract.”
With momentum perhaps ebbing away those issues need to be resolved – and fast.
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