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The Alexander Isak transfer saga took another twist on Tuesday as the player and his current club, Newcastle United, exchanged statements on the situation.

Isak went first, explaining his absence from the PFA awards night in Manchester as he accused Newcastle of "breaking promises" by standing in his way of an exit from the club.

The North East outfit then hit back with a statement of its own, claiming the conditions of a summer sale have not been met.

It's been a messy few weeks for all involved, and while Newcastle's statement said Isak "will be welcomed back when is ready to rejoin his teammates," the nuclear nature of Isak's attempts to quit the club suggests there is little chance of that happening any time soon.

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Liverpool saw a bid of just under $150 million rejected for Isak earlier this month, and Newcastle is believed to value the player at closer to the $200 million mark.

Isak finds himself in a sticky situation, in that he has burned his bridges with Newcastle's supporters, while the chances of him joining the Reds before the transfer deadline appear slim.

If he remains at Newcastle beyond September 1, the likelihood is that he will — eventually — be reintegrated, as he is Newcastle's best player, and Isak will also want to play in a season that leads up to next summer's World Cup.

If that does happen, there is still the chance that Isak could invoke Article 17 of FIFA's Regulations on the Transfer and Status of Players, if next summer comes around and he still wants to leave.

Article 17 was first implemented 20 years ago and it was introduced as a result of pressure from the European Commission, which felt that the previous transfer system restricted players from moving to new clubs in the way that everyday people are allowed to switch jobs, as and when they please, with few obstacles.



Isak could look to force his way out of Newcastle

While Article 17 rule was implemented in 2005, it was initially still quite restrictive, so not many players successfully invoked it, but some of the obstacles have been removed in the two decades since, making it easier — theoretically, at least — for players to take advantage of it.

Simply, any player who invokes the article is considered to have unilaterally breached their contract with their current club, immediately releasing them from their contract and making them a free agent.

Article 17 can only be invoked during the 15-day period following a club's final game of the season, so were Isak to decide to go down that route, he would now have to wait until June 2026

But crucially, he would then be free to sign for a new club as a free agent on July 1.

Only players who have had a full three years under contract at their current club are eligible to invoke Article 17, which means Isak is eligible, as he joined Newcastle in the summer of 2022.

Newcastle would be entitled to compensation if Isak were to go down that route, but it is not clear how much
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