Shearer blasts Isak ‘disaster’ as Newcastle told to sell if Howe can’t fix plight

Alan Shearer has blasted the Alexander Isak saga at Newcastle as a “disaster” as he told the Magpies to sell the striker if Eddie Howe can’t fix the current problems.

Isak has been one of the best strikers in the Premier League for the past couple of seasons. He scored 21 goals in 2023/24 and 23 goals last season.

Newcastle finished seventh and then fifth in those seasons, securing Champions League football in the second while they also won the League Cup.

The Magpies beat Liverpool to that particular piece of silverware, but the Reds had a bigger prize in mind as they romped home to the Premier League title, and followed that up by registering interest in Isak.

Newcastle’s stance is he’s not for sale but for an enormous figure, but Liverpool have tried to get him and Isak is practically begging his club to let him go, and is angry that they’re currently not doing so.

Magpies legend Shearer is not happy at the way things are playing out, and thinks a sale is in order if Howe can’t fix things.

“Disaster pre-season. Absolute disaster. Where do I start? One win. All of the talk has been about Isak,” Shearer said on The Rest Is Football.

“It has been a disaster for them, it really has. After what should have been, I thought, a time for Newcastle to kick on, after winning a trophy, after getting into the Champions League.

“I thought it was the time to go out and bring in three or four big players and I thought that was going to happen. I’ve said about the chief executive and sporting director, I think it’s nonsense they have not had those in, whether that has hampered them or not, I guess it has.

“They need to sort the situation out as quickly as possible with Isak. I guess he stays, until they get someone in and Eddie can maybe talk him around – if that isn’t possible then [they need to sell him].”

MORE ON NEWCASTLE FROM F365:
👉 Transfer rumour ranking: Chelsea to pay for Liverpool upgrade as Reds interfere with Newcastle again
👉 Who will be the first Premier League manager to be sacked?
👉 Romano reveals Isak to Liverpool ‘absolutely likely’ after what Newcastle have ‘told’ Howe

Howe is clearly aware of the issues in front of him. The Newcastle boss recently suggested he could not involve Isak in his squad given he is trying to force a move.

He said it is “clear at the moment we can’t involve him with the group.”

But he also suggested that it is not for him to fix things, stating: “That’s not for me to answer, that’s for him to answer.”

READ MORE: Newcastle fail again as £80m striker price tag kills Isak replacement deal