Alexander Isak v Newcastle: A Player Power Battle | Libero 046

The biggest story of this summer’s transfer window is Alexander Isak. The Newcastle United striker is so desperate for a move that he has not been training with Newcastle United, and on Tuesday night he finally went public about his desire to leave.

On today’s Libero, Jonathan Wilson, Rory Smith and Jack Pitt-Brooke try to get to the bottom of the story of the summer. How outraged should we be by Isak’s conduct? Is he ‘on strike’, insulting the fans, or is he just playing one of the few cards available to him?

This summer has shown how clubs treat players, whether Manchester United with their bomb squad, or Nottingham Forest denying Morgan Gibbs-White a move to Tottenham. So in that context does it make sense for a player to try to force his way out? And how can players claw back any power in the marketplace? Is the only route for them to stop signing long-term contracts when they are at the moment of maximum leverage?

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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Chapters
00:00 Intro and weekend football chat
06:07 The latest on Alexander Isak'
11:59 Is strike the right word?
19:09 The emotional investment of fans and the complex relationship with clubs
29:41 Newcastle's position in the food chain and the path to success
36:40 Player valuations and the evolution of transfers
45:49 Power dynamics: players v clubs
50:49 How players get leverage

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions