Simon Jordan believes Alexander Isak is lacking the courage to hand in a transfer request at Newcastle amid interest from Liverpool.
After three seasons with the Magpies, Isak has told the Carabao Cup champions he wants to explore his options away from Tyneside.
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The Swedish striker did not travel to Singapore for their pre-season tour and trained alone at his former club Real Sociedad.
Newcastle rejected a £110million bid from Liverpool for the 25-year-old and value him at around £150m.
However, whilst Isak hasn’t yet formally submitted a transfer request, talkSPORT’s Jordan doesn’t have the guts to do so.
“How would you want Eddie Howe to handle this Isak situation? How difficult is it for Eddie now?” Ade Oladipo asked on White and Jordan.
READ MORE ON ALEXANDER ISAK
“He’s an experienced manager, this won’t be the first player that’s not been happy about a set of circumstances,” Jordan said.
“There tends to be more made of it in the media than actually happens on the ground. Once people accept the reality of their circumstances, they have a tendency to get on with it.
“I think Eddie will handle it quite easily. I don’t think Isak has got the balls to put a transfer request in and really start to rock the apple cart, and make it so difficult.
“Unless he gets some real reinforcement from Liverpool and I don’t think Newcastle are going to sell him for £110m.
“They might move from £150m, they might go to £120m, £125m, but I don’t think they’re going to sell him for Liverpool’s first offer.”
Newcastle look set to miss out on another striker target as talkSPORT understands Benjamin Sesko wants to join Manchester United.
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United have offered an initial £65.1m plus a further £8.7m in add-ons.
RB Leipzig received a £70m plus add-ons bid from Newcastle, but the Slovenian star would prefer Old Trafford over St. James’ Park.
Sesko would join Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike and Liam Delap as strikers to sign elsewhere this summer.
Will Newcastle sell Isak without signing a replacement?
Oladipo asked if Newcastle would still sell Isak if they don’t sign a replacement striker.
“Do you think if Liverpool do go… Let’s say £130m is the number, and they don’t get a replacement striker in of the calibre of Sesko, will Newcastle still sell?”
Jordan replied: “Newcastle will get somebody in, it’s a case of what they get in.
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“If you want to conduct your business through the optics of the media and what the media thinks is a good signing, you’ll find yourself falling foul every time of the standards that other people set for you.
“Eddie is in a difficult position because Isak is a top player, there are so few of them around. And Newcastle…
“Despite the protestations of people that want to blame, despite the Craig Hope’s of the world that want to find fault in everything, and what to tell you now that the PIF ownership is abdicating responsibility and not doing what it said it was going to do.
“All of this nonsense which helps nobody, creates no opportunity for everything. What exactly could Newcastle have done?
“They’ve put the guy on a five-year contract, he’s got three years left, they’ve protected their position.
“Even if they had given him a pay rise, Liverpool would have just matched the pay rise, and he’d still want to go to Liverpool.
Liverpool WON’T WIN the Premier League if they FAIL to land Alexander Isak, warns Anfield legend!_copy
“So there’s no point giving him a pay rise because all you’re going to do is give him a pay rise for him to do the same bloody thing. ‘Oh, he might have changed his mind.’ No he wouldn’t.
“He wanted to go and play for Liverpool, and if the Liverpool deal doesn’t happen… It will happen. It’s not a case of if Alexander Isak leaves, it’s a case of when.
“In an ideal world, you want Newcastle to have him this season and let him go next season, and give themselves enough latitude to have another season of success.
“Another building of the image of Newcastle and the minds of players like this boy that’s going to Man United, who I think has made a mistake.
Read More on talkSPORT
“I think Man United is just an image right now rather than a reality and Newcastle is a club with momentum, and a manager that’s got traction
“I think that’s what you should be looking for as a footballer, rather than what you image in your mind’s eye was once upon a time the greatest club in English football.”
Simon Jordan believes Alexander Isak is lacking the courage to hand in a transfer request at Newcastle amid interest from Liverpool.
After three seasons with the Magpies, Isak has told the Carabao Cup champions he wants to explore his options away from Tyneside.
4
The Swedish striker did not travel to Singapore for their pre-season tour and trained alone at his former club Real Sociedad.
Newcastle rejected a £110million bid from Liverpool for the 25-year-old and value him at around £150m.
However, whilst Isak hasn’t yet formally submitted a transfer request, talkSPORT’s Jordan doesn’t have the guts to do so.
“How would you want Eddie Howe to handle this Isak situation? How difficult is it for Eddie now?” Ade Oladipo asked on White and Jordan.
READ MORE ON ALEXANDER ISAK
“He’s an experienced manager, this won’t be the first player that’s not been happy about a set of circumstances,” Jordan said.
“There tends to be more made of it in the media than actually happens on the ground. Once people accept the reality of their circumstances, they have a tendency to get on with it.
“I think Eddie will handle it quite easily. I don’t think Isak has got the balls to put a transfer request in and really start to rock the apple cart, and make it so difficult.
“Unless he gets some real reinforcement from Liverpool and I don’t think Newcastle are going to sell him for £110m.
“They might move from £150m, they might go to £120m, £125m, but I don’t think they’re going to sell him for Liverpool’s first offer.”
Newcastle look set to miss out on another striker target as talkSPORT understands Benjamin Sesko wants to join Manchester United.
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United have offered an initial £65.1m plus a further £8.7m in add-ons.
RB Leipzig received a £70m plus add-ons bid from Newcastle, but the Slovenian star would prefer Old Trafford over St. James’ Park.
Sesko would join Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike and Liam Delap as strikers to sign elsewhere this summer.
Will Newcastle sell Isak without signing a replacement?
Oladipo asked if Newcastle would still sell Isak if they don’t sign a replacement striker.
“Do you think if Liverpool do go… Let’s say £130m is the number, and they don’t get a replacement striker in of the calibre of Sesko, will Newcastle still sell?”
Jordan replied: “Newcastle will get somebody in, it’s a case of what they get in.
4
“If you want to conduct your business through the optics of the media and what the media thinks is a good signing, you’ll find yourself falling foul every time of the standards that other people set for you.
“Eddie is in a difficult position because Isak is a top player, there are so few of them around. And Newcastle…
“Despite the protestations of people that want to blame, despite the Craig Hope’s of the world that want to find fault in everything, and what to tell you now that the PIF ownership is abdicating responsibility and not doing what it said it was going to do.
“All of this nonsense which helps nobody, creates no opportunity for everything. What exactly could Newcastle have done?
“They’ve put the guy on a five-year contract, he’s got three years left, they’ve protected their position.
“Even if they had given him a pay rise, Liverpool would have just matched the pay rise, and he’d still want to go to Liverpool.
Liverpool WON’T WIN the Premier League if they FAIL to land Alexander Isak, warns Anfield legend!_copy
“So there’s no point giving him a pay rise because all you’re going to do is give him a pay rise for him to do the same bloody thing. ‘Oh, he might have changed his mind.’ No he wouldn’t.
“He wanted to go and play for Liverpool, and if the Liverpool deal doesn’t happen… It will happen. It’s not a case of if Alexander Isak leaves, it’s a case of when.
“In an ideal world, you want Newcastle to have him this season and let him go next season, and give themselves enough latitude to have another season of success.
“Another building of the image of Newcastle and the minds of players like this boy that’s going to Man United, who I think has made a mistake.
Read More on talkSPORT
“I think Man United is just an image right now rather than a reality and Newcastle is a club with momentum, and a manager that’s got traction
“I think that’s what you should be looking for as a footballer, rather than what you image in your mind’s eye was once upon a time the greatest club in English football.”
