Jamie Carragher says that Newcastle should sell striker Wantaway Alexander Isak before Monday’s transfer date, comparing his situation to that of Fernando Torres in Liverpool.
Isak was the subject of an offer of 110 million Liverpool pounds this summer, the club also signing Hugo Ekitike after Newcastle was strongly linked to the attacker in Potential replacement of Isak.
The Swedish international has not been involved in the first team since the end of last season, training rather far from his teammates with his unresolved future.
In a turn of fate – and with a week to go to the deadline – Newcastle and Liverpool are faced Monday evening football, And Sky Sports’ Carragher offered his point of view on Isak’s situation before the match.
“I don’t think an agreement was ever going to be done before this match. I couldn’t see this. It will be interesting to see what’s going on in the coming days,” he said.
“I cannot believe that for Liverpool, it’s just Isak or nobody, but it seems that the more we get closer to the end of the window.
“Thierry Henry said that Isak is a must for Liverpool. I have never been of this opinion – (I am) one of the few fans of Liverpool who is completely on Isak and we must spend this money.
“I don’t think he’s as durable as someone like Mo Salah. In fact, in the past three seasons, he has missed 36 championship games. It’s almost one season in three seasons.
“But I think Newcastle should sell Isak.
“There will be so many people outside to tell Newcastle and Eddie Howe what they should do. You have to be strong. You have to show Liverpool or any other club that players cannot just come to leave.
Fernando Torres left Liverpool in January 2011 after months of transfer links with Chelsea
“But they don’t have the problem of Isak every day. They don’t have the problem that Eddie Howe has to go to each press conference and be questioned about it. It is a cloud on the club constantly.
“I have the experience. We got it with Fernando Torres in Liverpool, where he didn’t really want to be at the club.
“He ended up staying and we sold him in January. These four or five months were a nightmare for the club and not everyone could expect him to move on.
“It’s similar to Newcastle. As a club, they are delighted to be in the Champions League and Isak is a player who wants to win it. They are not there now and he is 25 years old in the process of 26 years.
Please use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Liverpool head coach, Arne Slot, answers questions about the pursuit of the Newcastle striker’s club Alexander Isak, after the offer of 110 million pounds Sterling was delivered earlier in the window
“When we went to the Champions League, we had world class players. As soon as our level fell, people like Torres, (Javier) Mascherano and (Xabi) Alonso – World class players – wanted to leave because there was too much gap between where they are as players and where the club were.
“So, it’s not only I who tries in Newcastle and I want their player to come to Liverpool, I have experience of this situation and when you have a player who does not want to be there, it can be an absolute nightmare.”
Former arsenal striker Henri called Isak One the best attackers in the Premier League at the moment, and agreed with Carragher that it is best to leave Newcastle.
“He is up there, if not the best league striker at the moment,” he said on Monday evening football.
“He is a big striker. What he can give you back and on the ball, the way he finishes, but when you have a player in this type of situation where he wants to leave, it is good that people get angry, because when a player is not good and that a club wants it, I don’t see anyone crying for the player.
Please use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink gives his reaction to the transfer saga surrounding Alexander Isak of Newcastle, which aims to obtain a move to the Premier League Rival de Liverpool
“I can understand the fans and the club, but I can also understand it. You always put yourself in a situation as a player where people may not understand if you don’t come to training.
“We never know the whole story, but all that I say is that you cannot put yourself in a situation where you do not come to train.
“In an ideal world, the best thing for him and for everyone is if he can leave, but I also believe that when someone makes a mistake, if he apologizes, then we can move on.
“If he scores goals and he starts playing in the same way he played last year, Newcastle fans will go well on this subject.”
