Liverpool and Isak both warned over record transfer – ‘Is this the sort of player you want’

Arne Slot, Liverpool badge and Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak - copyright TEAMtalk

Liverpool have been told how they could convince Newcastle to let Alexander Isak go

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has hit out at Alexander Isak amid his links to Liverpool, sending Arne Slot’s men and the player himself a clear warning in the process, while Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has also weighed in on the transfer saga.

The biggest story of the summer window so far continues to rumble on as the Sweden international refuses to train with his teammates in the hope that this will force Newcastle to let him leave in the remaining weeks of the window.

However, with Liverpool yet to officially submit a second bid for Isak, after their first offer of £110m was automatically rejected, and Newcastle yet to sign a replacement striker, a deal late in the window is looking increasingly unlikely.

That has not stopped Rooney having his say on the drawn-out transfer saga, though, delivering a warning to both parties after the Reds got their title defence off to a winning start against Bournemouth while striker-less Newcastle drew 0-0 at Aston Villa.

While discussing matters with new Match of the Day host Mark Chapman, Rooney warned Isak about the dangers of his recent behaviour, as it could come back to haunt him if he’s made to return to the Newcastle team while Liverpool are arguably getting a layer with a questionable attitude.

He said: “The fact that he’s refusing to come in and train, it’s going to be very difficult for him to come back in.

“There’s a trust element there, he’s going about it the wrong way. Maybe he’s getting advised wrongly.

“But also for the team who’s trying to sign him, in this case it looks like Liverpool, you have to wonder is this the sort of player you want – who’s going to desert his team-mates and a huge football club.

“It’s a good opportunity but it has to be done in the right way.”

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Shearer hits out at Isak

Rooney then likened the situation to his public attempts to leave Manchester United, culminating in legendary Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson announcing that Rooney had asked to leave the club at the start of the 2010/11 season.

He added: “There’s the right way to do it and the wrong way. And I’ve been there myself when I’ve asked Manchester United to leave.”

To which co-host Shearer added: “But you put in a transfer request. You didn’t refuse to train, you didn’t refuse to play.

“So there is a way to do it and Alex is not going about it the right way at all and you have to feel sorry for the players and the manager

“You can imagine the anger that they’re feeling that someone is taking the liberty of refusing to play. You can’t do that when you’ve got a three-year contract.”

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Liverpool record signings

Florian Wirtz 2025 £116m Darwin Nunez 2022 £85m Virgil van Dijk 2018 £75m Mohamed Salah 2017 £43.9m Sadio Mane 2016 £36m Andy Carroll 2011 £35m Luis Suarez 2011 £22.8m Fernando Torres 2007 £20.2m Djibril Cisse 2004 £14.5m Emile Heskey 2000 £11m
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