Alexander Isak

[Fak]

4 minutes ago, Hovagod said:

Rod’s still thinking about the bad news, isn’t he?

I should have told him about the release clause first and then the contract extension. 

[kingxlnc]

I think he will want to see if stage 2 of the project involves us investing enough to become title contenders. 
 

He will have been sold the project as a long term thing - stick around you are our poster boy, our Aguero. Bruno will have been told he’s our KDB, Botman our Kompany. So I do see the cup win as critical validation for such players who bought into it in the early days. CL will seal it, so as long we get CL genuinely don’t expect any of the blue chip players to leave this summer at least. 
 

 

[Paully]

 

[Yorkie]

That kit with the white shorts and red numbers was filthy.

[Gawalls]

10 hours ago, kingxlnc said:

I think he will want to see if stage 2 of the project involves us investing enough to become title contenders. 
 

He will have been sold the project as a long term thing - stick around you are our poster boy, our Aguero. Bruno will have been told he’s our KDB, Botman our Kompany. So I do see the cup win as critical validation for such players who bought into it in the early days. CL will seal it, so as long we get CL genuinely don’t expect any of the blue chip players to leave this summer at least. 
 

 

I’d love to buy into this but it’s just in the back of my head that he’s never been at a club for more than 3 years and when asked about future he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve like Bruno does, just always says little and moves the subject on. None of us know what he’s thinking and this and next summer will be big in terms of us finding out.

[AJ9]

I think he will only agitate for a move if a really big fish comes, and that’s depending on meeting an asking price. He might wait on that new contract though. 

[Erikse]

27 minutes ago, Gawalls said:

I’d love to buy into this but it’s just in the back of my head that he’s never been at a club for more than 3 years and when asked about future he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve like Bruno does, just always says little and moves the subject on. None of us know what he’s thinking and this and next summer will be big in terms of us finding out.

 

The last part might just be that he doesn't know whether the club will accept a bid. Bruno also said that if the club need him to leave (due to a high enough bid), he will do so. That bid may need to be colossal, but the chance is allways there. They're not going to refuse to leave if it happens.

 

 

Edited Friday at 11:10 by Erikse

[ExiledGeordie]

If we get CL, there’s not a chance he leaves this summer for me. We’ll also sign higher calibre players which is important for the top players to see.  He probably also signs a new contract with a get out clause. If we don’t get CL that’s when it “might” get more interesting with teams testing our resolve and Isak’s plans. Even then the fee might make it very difficult for teams to get a deal done. 

[Lush Vlad]

25 minutes ago, Gawalls said:

I’d love to buy into this but it’s just in the back of my head that he’s never been at a club for more than 3 years and when asked about future he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve like Bruno does, just always says little and moves the subject on. None of us know what he’s thinking and this and next summer will be big in terms of us finding out.

 

Worth remembering they are very different personalities, as well.  Isak has the nickname Ice Cold/Iceman or whatever it is.  He seems quite quiet at times and not too emotional.  Then has the odd outburst when he scores or when he is having a go at the ref or someone.

 

I don't think Bruno would be a very good poker player.  It's out there for all to see.  Isak seems like a much more reserved and chilled sort of character.

[Kanj]

His ultimate goal was to play for a top PL side. He’s absolutley instrumental and has emerged as the clear best player we have at the club; I’d venture to say (repeating myself) that if the club continues to push forward in every aspect on and off the pitch he’s going to likely be able to achieve his club footballing ambitions at NUFC. He’s in line to be paid more than any other NUFC player ever has, he’s the chair’s favorite player. Hard to look at the current situation negatively at all. 
 

there is not a single football club who can afford the financial outlay to tempt us to sell him in Europe. 

[Crimson Cardigan]

34 minutes ago, Kanj said:

His ultimate goal was to play for a top PL side. He’s absolutley instrumental and has emerged as the clear best player we have at the club; I’d venture to say (repeating myself) that if the club continues to push forward in every aspect on and off the pitch he’s going to likely be able to achieve his club footballing ambitions at NUFC. He’s in line to be paid more than any other NUFC player ever has, he’s the chair’s favorite player. Hard to look at the current situation negatively at all. 
 

there is not a single football club who can afford the financial outlay to tempt us to sell him in Europe. 

Agreed.

 

though I put that bit about no club being able to afford him to Ornstein and he responded “of course there is, it’s just whether they decide to go to those levels”.

 

didnt mention who of course. Liverpool with their rebuild? Cant see it unless Saudi bail them out for Darwin?

 

chelsea? Why would he go there.

 

Arsenal? Think he’s gone beyond them now.

 

City and Real are well stocked upfront. Which leaves only PSG with Barca skint.

[Paully]

He’s absolutely class - best in the world - and he’s ours! 
 

 

[Mattoon]

Ultimately Isak will do what's best for Isak and why shouldn't he? Right now he's happy here and he's getting what he wants but if someone comes in with the right money and offers him better terms than us and greater ability to earn silverware then why shouldn't he go?

 

Any talk of swap deals and make weights is jokes though, like why would we lose our best asset and not even gain any PSR headroom from it the sale? Makes literally no sense for the club.

 

For now, he's ours and the longer we can keep him and match his ability with wages and progress on the pitch and in the squad, the better chance we have of keeping him.

[Kanj]

Isak's transfer fee is likely a Mbappe (163m) to Neymar fee (200m) imho. Those were Paris twice in 2017 and 2018. Barca can't afford that anymore. Joao Felix was 113m in 2019. Enzo was 107m in 2023. I still believe fees of those sizes are just not really possible in this day and age, particularly because most of these clubs would finance some of it anyway and financing is far more expensive today than it was pre 2020. 

[The Prophet]

That celebration looks familiar.

 

 

Edited Friday at 22:11 by The Prophet

[Groundhog63]

18 hours ago, Lush Vlad said:

I don't think Bruno would be a very good poker player.  

[Keegans Export]

I think he'll sign a new contract this year and the release clause will kick in next summer around the £100-120m mark.

[Unbelievable]

2 minutes ago, Keegans Export said:

I think he'll sign a new contract this year and the release clause will kick in next summer around the £100-120m mark.

What would be the point of that for us? We’d have to pay him higher wages and lose him for less than he’s worth in a year’s time. Could see it with an extension and say a 200-250m release clause.

 

 

Edited Saturday at 06:58 by Unbelievable

[McCormick]

I’m with you but doubt his agent would agree to a release clause so high. Maybe something like 150m would okayish for both parties.

[Unbelievable]

6 minutes ago, McCormick said:

I’m with you but doubt his agent would agree to a release clause so high. Maybe something like 150m would okayish for both parties.

It would have to represent a deal that improves our situation by either keeping him at the club for longer and/or not capping our potential future transfer fee below his current market value in return for bringing his wages in line with others of his play level. If the best Isak and his agent could offer was to cap his release clause at his current asking price and doubling his wages I would expect our club to just kick the can forward a year.

[Keegans Export]

16 minutes ago, Unbelievable said:

It would have to represent a deal that improves our situation by either keeping him at the club for longer and/or not capping our potential future transfer fee below his current market value in return for bringing his wages in line with others of his play level. If the best Isak and his agent could offer was to cap his release clause at his current asking price and doubling his wages I would expect our club to just kick the can forward a year.

I agree with you in principle, I just don't think that part in bold is possible. If we're saying £120m is below his market value then he's amongst the top handful of players in the world. How much is Haaland on? 

[Unbelievable]

3 minutes ago, Keegans Export said:

I agree with you in principle, I just don't think that part in bold is possible. If we're saying £120m is below his market value then he's amongst the top handful of players in the world. How much is Haaland on? 

Haaland is on insane money, but he's more proven and over a longer period of time than Isak is. I would assume to tempt Isak into a contract extension we'd have to offer well in excess of 200k/week for his services. I don't see why we would do that (adding 4-5 million per year to our outgoings) if it does not then allow us to rinse clubs who may want to pry him away from us in the future. He's on a 3 year deal and we can ask whatever we want as it stands, so we shouldn't be in a hurry to deteriorate our bargaining position.

 

I would loath to lose Isak and (as I've said before) I think he's the least replaceable of our "purples" but should we lose him in the next two years it should be for a fee that then allows us to build from that and become stronger overall.

 

I see some people say they'd happily run down his contract if he wouldn't want to extend. I disagree with that position. As a club and with PSR in mind that would set us back massively. We need to either build around him for the next 5+ years or sell for a king's ransom at the optimum time (probably after next season if we cannot keep him).

[Keegans Export]

2 minutes ago, Unbelievable said:

Haaland is on insane money, but he's more proven and over a longer period of time than Isak is. I would assume to tempt Isak into a contract extension we'd have to offer well in excess of 200k/week for his services. I don't see why we would do that (adding 4-5 million per year to our outgoings) if it does not then allow us to rinse clubs who may want to pry him away from us in the future. He's on a 3 year deal and we can ask whatever we want as it stands, so we shouldn't be in a hurry to deteriorate our bargaining position.

 

I would loath to lose Isak and (as I've said before) I think he's the least replaceable of our "purples" but should we lose him in the next two years it should be for a fee that then allows us to build from that and become stronger overall.

 

I see some people say they'd happily run down his contract if he wouldn't want to extend. I disagree with that position. As a club and with PSR in mind that would set us back massively. We need to either build around him for the next 5+ years or sell for a king's ransom at the optimum time (probably after next season if we cannot keep him).

I think the issue (just as I see it) is that ultimately he/his agent hold all the cards. 

 

Obviously our confidence of keeping him this summer is that he's got three years to run. But what about next summer if he doesn't extend? Are we still in a position where we can essentially price him out of the market?

 

If I was his agent I'd be thinking I want very good terms this summer or we'll talk next summer. Back Isak to keep producing at his current rate and see how confident the club is in keeping him with two years left on his deal rather than three. 

[Unbelievable]

2 minutes ago, Keegans Export said:

I think the issue (just as I see it) is that ultimately he/his agent hold all the cards. 

 

Obviously our confidence of keeping him this summer is that he's got three years to run. But what about next summer if he doesn't extend? Are we still in a position where we can essentially price him out of the market?

 

If I was his agent I'd be thinking I want very good terms this summer or we'll talk next summer. Back Isak to keep producing at his current rate and see how confident the club is in keeping him with two years left on his deal rather than three. 

 

A little less so, hence why that would probably be the time to sell and re-invest if he's not willing to commit to our project longer term.

[duo]

1 hour ago, Unbelievable said:

What would be the point of that for us? We’d have to pay him higher wages and lose him for less than he’s worth in a year’s time. Could see it with an extension and say a 200-250m release clause.

 

 

 

Probably to stop him leaving in the Summer. Both Liverpool and Arsenal are after a number 9 which might not be the case next year.  So keeping him here next season is key. Which hopefully higher wage and potentially CL will do.