Barnes23

Good to see us getting deals agreed. Some real blooming talents at our negotiating table.

Definitely with you there. My worry is that we capitulate to Isak/Liverpool and essentially reward the undermining of our club and entire summer window. The way we would do that is by going so far down our list of targets we act against our interests eg. Ollie Watkins (unsuitable for PSR reasons) or Nicholas Jackson (unsuitable by being vastly inferior to Isak)

Now is the moment where Eddie's line about selling Isak having to be best for Newcastle United is going to be put to the test.

The extent to which he is implicated is largely the extent to which he is performing functions outside of his original remit out of necessity, as far as I can tell. The fault ultimately lies at the top.

Better for people to mentally prepare themselves for our interest in Nicholas Jackson to accelerate, tbh.

I think people are more saying it out of hope than expectation because they don't want to imagine us entertaining a lesser option. We might though, could see us moving for Ollie Watkins or Nicholas Jackson next.

We'll see, I think there is something approaching certainty about it tbh. That's my read based on everything in front of me, I could be mistaken. It's not the loss of Isak in itself so much as it is a) selling Isak to a domestic rival (from a position of strength, for a fee under his true worth, after they have both conspired to fuck us over, no less). That's the part that is consequential to our standing and psychology as a club, which is a deeper issue than the personnel we are able to assemble for the start of the season.

If we sign Sesko, we will be selling Isak to Liverpool. If we do so, we haven't gotten anything over Liverpool or Isak at all - we have capitulated, acquiesced, to those we should be looking to topple. We won't even have acquired his true value in this market (imo, £180m plus). The ramifications of that that are much more far-reaching - a few good signings cannot remedy it. That is why the mood remains relatively bleak.

We need an updated David Mitchell sketch like the one mocking sky sports but for 2025 transfer windows "It's all here and it's all transfers, money is being sent around, money is being withheld, offers are being made, discussions of offers are being made, discussions of offers not being made are being made, players are deciding where they want to go.. and where they don't" Watch the player he's going to mooove.. watch him watch him watch the player Etc etc

I think the particular rationale in the video isn't the strongest way of presenting the evidence but in truth Isak's response was evasive. Even if the shirt belonged to Wilson at that time he could have still spoken positively about it, he'll know it has a significance here. He chose to take a sharp turn in a different direction and I think it's not a leap given what has happened since + other pieces of evidence to suspect his head has been turned for quite some time.

What will be lost in the broader narrative and maybe even on this forum to an extent is that even if we hold out for £150m and end up receiving it, we will still have let him go on the cheap.

Hoping the same - not out of any affection for Isak but because it's clearly the best option on the table for us with the market how it is + the psychological impact of selling to a rival Expecting to be disappointed, though.

Surely will be needing almost double that in this market

Tbh as much as anyone can tell with these kind of things, I never got the impression Isak was fully "bought in" in the same way that it feels like, for example, Bruno and Joelinton are. Nor have I ever formed a real impression of his character at all aside from his calm and collected nature on the pitch and in interviews. Could just be a reflection of a more introverted personality on his part but there was nothing there for us to really think something like this was an impossibility. The reticence when discussing the scoring record with Shearer, saying "everyone knows how I feel about the club" in an interview when away on international duty rather than speaking more directly, not seeming to celebrate goals from teammates so much towards the end of the season... in hindsight there were some signs.

Maybe the house being up for rent is a calculated play on the part of Isak/the agent to apply further pressure because the club are refusing to sell *buries head further into sand*

The point is that he's our player and we let him leave when it is in our best interest. Even if the price drops there's very little chance his value plummets barring injury. He won't refuse to play for a year nor will we banish him imo

The look of muted horror on Ian Wright's face Something for us all to look forward to

I do understand those who feel this has an air of inevitability to it, with the social media onslaught strategy delivered by Romano and others + our conditioning over the years as NUFC fans. However, we are still in a position of relative strength with Isak having 3 years to run on his contact. The only valid reason to let him go at all is if we genuinely think it is in the best interests of the club.

There's still some on here of the opinion that Isak isn't pushing to leave. You might have a bidding war on your hands for those beans

Not going to watch the video but the optics of selling Isak to Liverpool are terrible and I don't see how that is really arguable on any level. Would be preferable to sell abroad next summer for a lower fee.

I think Isak would reintegrate for this season if we hold firm on not selling him this summer. The only question that counts for me is whether Howe believes this is in the best interest of the morale of the squad. Everyone will know next summer he is going to be on his way.

The entire thing (including Isak not being with the squad) is a concerted strategy on the part of Liverpool/Isak/his agent.

Totally with you, he is complicit in this and actively working against the interests of the club to secure this move. Total disrespect and disregard on his part. Some would prefer not to see it that way but that is the reality of the situation

Aye, in hindsight it looks more and more like this has been a deliberate strategy which has been on the cards for a while. The timing of it in particular suggests premeditation on the part of Liverpool and those representing Isak. I'd be interested to know exactly how long that relationship has been established.