Isak warned over ‘global’ Liverpool ‘backlash’ if he ever repeats Newcastle exit antics

Kevin Palmer 15 Sep 2025 7:06 PM

Alexander Isak warned over future Liverpool exit

Alexander Isak would face ‘major repercussions’ if he used the tactics he deployed to get out of Newcastle to seal a move away from Liverpool, according to former Reds striker Stan Collymore.

Isak effectively went on strike to try and engineer a move to Anfield and he got his wish in the final hours of the transfer window, as a British record £125m deal was confirmed for the Sweden striker.

Collymore, who played 81 games for Liverpool and scored 35 goals between 1995 and 1997, suggests the tactics used by Isak have become the norm for too many players, but he believes any player who refused to train or play for a club of Liverpool’s gravitas would face a global backlash.

“Liverpool fans know what Isak has done and they know he could do it again, but it is not just him who has pulled tricks like this,” Collymore told TEAMtalk.

“I don’t worry for Liverpool because they know that if Isak does well, two or three years down the road, he might well do what he has just done to Newcastle.

“What I would say is if he tried to do that to Liverpool, a club that is a huge global brand, then it would be much tougher for him.

“Players tend to be a little more clever when then leave a club like Liverpool and if you did what Isak has just done to get out of Newcastle with his new club, there would be major repercussions.

“Social media is an unforgiving place and even if Real Madrid did come in for him, Isak would have to be careful about how he would get another big move.

“What we have seen from Isak this summer is nothing new and it is becoming the norm now.

“I remember at the back end of my career that players started skipping training for a couple of days when they wanted to get out of a club. They can only give you a two-week wages fine and that’s the same if you stay away for longer.

“What it does is put a club under pressure to get someone in who wants to play for the club and it’s a clever way for a player to force through a move.

“Players used put in a transfer request in my day and that meant you gave up bonus payments and signing on fees, but if you just take the two-week wages fine and force through a move, you get what you want and probably end up getting more money out of it.

“Now this seems to have become an accepted way for transfers to be conducted and FIFA don’t seem to do anything to try and stop it.”

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Isak unlikely to hit the ground running

Collymore went on to suggest Isak may not be at his best for Liverpool for several weeks, after the striker missed all of the pre-season programme at Newcastle due to his transfer stand-off with the club.

“He will need six to eight games and he needs to play for 90 minutes to get up to speed,” added Collymore. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays in some of the Carabao Cup games for Liverpool, as they will be a lot less intense than the Premier League matches because they need to be careful with him.

“You won’t see the best of Isak right away, but if he does come in and score a couple of goals on his debut, he might be on his way. Conversely, you can be as fit as a fiddle and go on a run without scoring, which makes you think you will never get a goal again.

“In my experience, you need to be in a new team for at least eight games to understand how a team works, the movement of other players. You look at the Liverpool team and they have Mo Salah, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike trying to work together and with Isak coming in now, three of those four are new to the club.

“So I wouldn’t expect to see the best of Isak until November and maybe even Christmas, but Liverpool can cope with that. Ekitike has started well, Salah is scoring goals, Wirtz scored a cracking goal for Germany the other day, so they have wonderful options. They also still have players like Gakpo to call upon, so the need to rush Isak is not pressing right now.”