"Don't have to go to the lengths that he's done" - Pundit slams Liverpool target Alexander Isak for behavior in summer transfer window

Football pundit Tony Cascarino has criticized Alexander Isak for his behavior and Liverpool's reported interest in him. The former Premier League striker described Isak's decision to skip pre-season with Newcastle as "unprofessional", urging him to honor his contract despite his desire to leave.

Isak's transfer saga is turning out to be one of the most notable events of the ongoing transfer window. The Swedish striker has expressed his desire to leave the Magpies and is wanted by Liverpool. However, Newcastle have refused to sanction a transfer, rejecting a reported £110 million offer from the Reds.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding his future, the 25-year-old has skipped pre-season activities with the Tyneside club. It was earlier reported that Isak's absence from the squad was due to an injury. But the forward has reportedly been undergoing personal training at the facility of his former club Real Sociedad rather than linking up with Eddie Howe's side, who are currently on tour in Asia.

Cascarino was on talkSPORT, where he weighed in on the Isak transfer situation. He berated the Newcastle star for not honoring his contract with the club, which does not expire until 2028.

He said (via GOAL):

"You see this so often with players," Cascarino said during one his regular appearances on the radio station. "I always say, if you sign a contract, you have to honor it. You might not like it if other clubs have come in, but you’ve signed it.

"He's got three years to go, so that puts him in a very difficult position. I'm sorry, I just don't agree with doing some of the things that players will do. Isak is training at Real Sociedad, and that might have been something he might have even done before if he's suffering [with] an injury. [But], I just think there's a line in the sand on this one."

The former Chelsea and Aston Villa striker continued:

"You've got to be careful with the club you're at. His pre-season is completely messed up by having his head turned. That's not Liverpool's fault, or Newcastle's. It's sometimes down to the responsibility of a player, who has to handle himself in the right way – and your advisers around you. You don't have to go to the lengths that he's done.

"Sometimes, you might have someone advising to ruffle a few feathers and upset a few [people] and make your stance [known], if you want to get the move. But Newcastle are a big club and I understand you may think you can win may more with Liverpool because of how ambitious Liverpool have shown they can be in the transfer market and with winning the title last year. I understand all of that, but you can't just throw your toys out of the pram every time you don't get your way."

Meanwhile, the Magpies will face Tottenham on Sunday (August 3) as part of their Asia tour before returning to St James' Park to play Spanish sides Espanyol (August 8) and Atletico Madrid (August 9).

What did Newcastle manager say amid Liverpool's interest in Alexander Isak?

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has disclosed that Alexander Isak's situation is complex amid interest from Liverpool. He claimed that he is unsure of the ongoing transfer saga and only learnt about the player's usage of Real Sociedad's training facility from the media.

"It's difficult, because you don't know what is going to happen from this point. We can only deal with the reality. The reality is we had a first bid from Liverpool and I believe that was turned down. From this point onwards, let's see what happens," Howe said (via Metro).

"In terms of trying to upset players and all that kind of stuff, from my perspective, we can only talk about our conduct. We try to do things in the right way. Signing players is always complex. We just try to do what we think is right. I can't talk about other clubs, that's not for me to say. I know where he is through the media, so I think from that perspective, it's difficult for me to go into any detail. The situation is far from ideal. It is quite complex," he added.

Isak joined Newcastle United in 2022 from Real Sociedad for a reported club record fee of about £60 million. He has registered 62 goals and 11 assists in 109 appearances for the Tyneside club.