Jamie Carragher has blasted Alexander Isak’s “toxic” and “nuclear” behaviour as the Swedish strikes tries to force a move to Liverpool.
Carragher stayed at Liverpool his entire career, so he isn’t entirely clued up on the transfer process. Not least, trying to force a move away from a club that wants to keep you.
What he does have an understanding about, however, is having a fan base that treasures you, your loyalties and ability. Isak is in need of that.
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The Swedish striker has been at the epicentre of transfer news this summer, declaring to Newcastle his intentions to leave the club and join Arne Slot’s side.
Alexander Isak was outstanding for Newcastle last season, with the Liverpool target scoring 23 Premier League goals across
| PAThe 25-year-old has been absent from training, and it is even being said that he has moved out of his Newcastle flat in his latest bid to push through a move.
The striker has also indicated his belief that he will never play for the club again, whether he stays beyond September 1 or not.
There is now a general consensus that a deal, somewhat due to the pressure being applied by Isak, will be done between the clubs. However, Newcastle are yet to open the door to Liverpool to return to the bidding table after they saw their initial £110million bid rejected at the start of the month.
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Jamie Carragher has expressed his concerns over the Alexander Isak deal
|Getty
Liverpool icon Carragher has expressed his concerns over the deal following Isak’s antics throughout the summer.
Speaking to The i Paper, the former defender said: “I don’t like it when a player downs tools. I wouldn’t like it if it was a Liverpool player and I do feel for the Newcastle fans a bit.
“He’s obviously a god to them, a hero. I don’t think any Newcastle fan is naive to think that Alexander Isak is going to spend his whole career at the club.
“I’ve got no problem with Isak wanting to leave but he’s in a difficult situation with his contract because Newcastle have the power and there’s three years to go. Should he have had a buy-out clause, should he be looking at his agent now he finds himself in this position?
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“Transfers happen every summer but I don’t think you should ever go toxic or nuclear where you refuse to play or train. That may be what forces the move in the end, so who am I to say it’s wrong, but I just don’t like it. They’re paying his wages, they’ve been great to you, you’ve been great for them, just keep training, keep playing and hope a deal gets done.”
The Sky Sports pundit then discussed his concerns about the deal for Liverpool’s current squad. Arne Slot has steered the Liverpool ship through waves of expenditure this summer - £270million to be precise - including a British record fee for Florian Wirtz.
But, the Reds also nicked Newcastle’s top striker target, Hugo Ekitike, for a modest fee of £79m. Carragher feels the acquisition of Isak could jeopardise the exciting French forward’s development, particularly after spending a significant sum of money.
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Newcastle target Hugo Ekitike joined Liverpool instead | Getty“I’m a bit uneasy because Liverpool have already bought a striker for a hefty sum of money,” he admitted. “They do need two more attacking players, they need another striker and they need another wide player to replace what’s gone.
“But when you sign a striker for £80m – and I think this kid [Ekitike] looks a really good player – Liverpool have signed him to be the next Isak.
“I just scratch my head to think where he gets his minutes if Isak signs because you wouldn’t be able to leave him out, he’s that good a player and you’d have spent that much money on him.
“So I do worry a little bit for Ekitike. People say you need all sorts of different players and you do need that but sometimes you buy someone who is so expensive and so good they don’t have competition, they just play. That’s what Mo Salah has done for seven or eight years.
“The backup ends up getting frustrated, there’s no reason for them being there.”
The 47-year-old concluded by saying he “won’t be devastated” if a deal for Isak doesn’t happen. But the question remains whether there is a future for the Swedish striker on Tyneside, or what the future could look like at Anfield with him there.