At the time of writing, while the bright lights dim down in the Swiss city of Basel following the joy and celebrations had by England’s Lionesses, the rest of the football world holds its breath and listens intently for the sound of the Anfield boardroom hotstepping up the M6 to the North-East for the crown jewel in the region’s footballing throne, Alexander Isak.

Since swapping the coastal resort of San Sebastián in Spain’s Basque region for the colder climate of Tyneside, Alexander Isak has been a revelation in the famous black and white stripes. His silky ball control, mesmerising dribbling, and goal-scoring exploits have already earned him a place alongside luminaries such as Andrew Cole, Peter Beardsley, and Demba Ba in the club’s rich history of entertaining and prolific forwards.

Having arrived as an unpolished diamond at 21 years of age, Alexander Isak has transformed into arguably the most feared striker in world football within just three years. It’s a striking irony that Liverpool—the very club against whom Isak announced himself on English football’s biggest stage with a sensational debut performance, and whom he has repeatedly terrorised, including in the most recent League Cup Final—are now strongly considered his next destination should the Anfield club submit a minimum world-record offer.

The intensity of speculation linking Isak with a move to the eventual Premier League Champions has continued to pick up momentum ever since that momentous day at Wembley. While many viewed him as the man to unlock greater success for Newcastle in the years to come, the past fortnight has put not only Isak’s long term future & ambitions under the spotlight, but unmasked the reality of where the club currently stands under the leadership, or lack of it, of the PIF & Reuben Brothers led Consortium.

The departure of Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi as minority shareholders and ‘front-of-house’ directors in 2024 has left the remaining factions of the consortium exposed. The club’s conspicuous lack of communication, sluggish decision-making—particularly on vital matters such as stadium and training ground redevelopment—and ongoing instability in the St. James’ Park boardroom, undoubtedly impacting the club’s ability to sell the vision to prospective players, have led to growing concern among external stakeholders about the strategy and ambition behind the project.

This stands in stark contrast to our Merseyside counterparts who, since Jürgen Klopp’s departure at the end of the 2023/24 season, have demonstrated clear strategic thinking, forward planning, and ambition. They appointed Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes to key boardroom positions and secured highly sought-after first-team manager Arne Slot.

Despite a seemingly underwhelming initial recruitment drive, Liverpool marched to the Premier League title in Slot’s first season and have traded upon that success this offseason—bringing in a raft of ambitious new signings, including Bundesliga stars Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, and Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili (reportedly a one-time Newcastle target).

Three of the four arrivals at Anfield were signed with the intent of replacing the incumbent in their position or increasing competition for places, demonstrating clear forward thinking. Should Alexander Isak eventually swap Tyneside for Merseyside, he would be an immediate starter—and a clear upgrade—in Liverpool’s centre-forward role. All of this goes to show the gulf (no pun intended) that still exists between the two clubs.

Since the PIF-led consortium assumed control almost four years ago, the only area of Newcastle United that can truly be considered “elite” has been on the pitch—with an elite manager, coaching team, and first-team squad that has taken the club from potential relegation fodder to Champions League participants and League Cup winners.

Off the pitch, however, some might argue that the most notable improvement has been the removal of the Sports Direct signage at St. James’ Park. Yes, the club’s training ground facilities have undergone multiple renovations, but given the state they were in under previous managers, these changes have merely brought them up to a minimum standard.

Without a settled and trusted leadership team in the boardroom, and without decisive action or conviction on the stadium and training ground plans—where is the ambition? What is the vision? Players, both incumbent and prospective, look on and ask themselves these questions, including Alexander Isak. 

At 25 years of age and in the prime of his career, he sees what Liverpool are building and striving to achieve—and unsurprisingly, wants to be part of it. What ambitious footballer, not born in Gosforth or Wallsend, wouldn’t?

His Swedish compatriot, Zlatan Ibrahimović, was already winning league titles in Italy at the same age. And while their journeys up to this point have been quite different, it wouldn’t be surprising if Isak were looking at his League Cup winner’s medal and wondering what more he can achieve in his prime years.

Yes, there is also the much-publicised matter of wanting to be remunerated in line with his status in the game—but if this saga were solely about wages, why is Liverpool the only club he’s interested in joining? Why not the Saudi Pro League, where he could be paid more than handsomely?

It’s common knowledge that a professional athlete’s career is shorter than in most other industries. Some argue that, with the life-changing financial rewards available, it can afford to be a short career. But there are two problems with that line of thinking. First, those life-changing sums are only available to athletes at the elite end of the spectrum. Second, it assumes the athlete is solely interested in what they can earn—not in what they can achieve: winner’s medals, trophies, and personal honours.

While the departure of Staveley and Ghodoussi has left a vacuum of visibility and accountability that remains unfilled, it’s also true that—regardless of whether they stayed—Newcastle were already facing the glass ceiling imposed by English football’s governance and financial regulations.

The big, ambitious signings—like Bruno Guimarães, Alexander Isak, and Sandro Tonali—have dried up in recent windows. And until the club can significantly bridge the gap in commercial revenue, the pressure remains on on-pitch success to project a compelling vision to the outside world of what can be achieved. The problem is, that not only takes time—more than the ten-year plan Staveley suggested at the time of the takeover—it also requires that everything goes right.

This is why, to keep your current stars happy and attract the next wave of elite talent, it’s essential to have a stable, capable boardroom team—empowered to run the club effectively—and to deliver decisive action on stadium and training ground plans. These are plans that were undoubtedly part of the vision sold to current squad members. It’s not just about selling the vision—it’s about realising it.

However this saga resolves itself in the coming weeks and months, Alexander Isak does not warrant vitriol from the Newcastle supporters. While recent decisions to withdraw from the club’s tour of the Far East and train alone in the Basque region do not warrant praise, a few misguided choices—likely influenced by his representatives—should not erase three impeccable years filled with joyous moments that have elevated him to iconic status among supporters.

As obvious as it may seem, the movement of footballers between clubs is a two-way street. While Newcastle ultimately showed the greatest desire and determination to sign Isak, it was the player himself who chose to join and grasp the opportunity. The point is: he wanted to come to the North East. And based upon the list of players who recently turned down the move, there is a lot to be said for that.

His goal-scoring exploits, grace on the ball, and effortless touch have already secured his place among United’s all-time great players. His winning goal at Wembley cemented him into immortality—alongside the 19 matchday squad members, manager, and coaching staff.

Time is always the best healer of hurt feelings, and should he move on to pastures new—now or in the near future—it shouldn’t be taken personally or viewed without context. The club’s handling of off-pitch matters over the past 12 to 18 months, coupled with the increasingly compressed landscape of English football—where protectionism continues to stifle fair competition and growth—offers important perspectives. This is the reality of modern-day football, and Newcastle United and Alexander Isak are simply the latest case in point.