Alexander Isak expressed gratitude to teammates, staff, the city of Newcastle and supporters, citing Champions League qualification and a long-awaited trophy. He completed a £125m move to Liverpool after refusing to train or play for Eddie Howe's team for much of the summer. The tactic achieved the transfer but significantly harmed his standing in Newcastle despite scoring 27 goals last season. His representative, Vlado Lemic, issued a cryptic remark and is blamed by Newcastle for advising a strike to force the move. Isak has since been pictured training with Sweden and will address Swedish football media with manager Jon Dahl Tomasson.
I want to express my gratitude to my team-mates, the staff and, above all, the city of Newcastle and the amazing supporters for the three unforgettable years we shared together. Together we have written history and brought the club to the place where it truly belongs. It has been an honour to be part of the journey from reaching the Champions League to winning the first trophy in over 70 years. Forever grateful. Thank you, Newcastle.
When Isak joined Liverpool for 125m on Monday evening the Sweden striker departed a squad and a city thoroughly disillusioned by his decision not to train with or play for Eddie Howe's team for the majority of this summer. Ultimately that tactic succeeded in forcing the move to Anfield he had long craved but, along the way, a player who scored 27 times for Newcastle last season shredded his reputation there.
As the 25-year-old attempted to burnish his image, Isak's representative, Vlado Lemic, was anything but on-message in a cryptic barb quite clearly aimed at Newcastle. "It's nice when you have someone to be with," said the Serb in a statement offered to Talksport, "but even nicer when you know who you'll never be with again." Newcastle blame Lemic for advising Isak to go on strike as he tried to engineer a route to Anfield.
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