Alexander Isak's behaviour labelled 'sad' as his replacement's conduct also slammed

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Alexander Isak has been criticised for his conduct (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Alexander Isak has been told that the manner of his transfer to Liverpool has damaged the game.

Having become a Newcastle United hero, the Swede has been at the centre of a summer-long tug of war between the Magpies and Liverpool.

Newcastle were adamant their star striker was not for sale and turned down the champions' first bid.



However, after Isak effectively went on strike and issued an explosive social media statement expressing his desire to leave, he eventually got his wish, leading to widespread criticism, including from his now former manager, Eddie Howe.

Liverpool paid a British record £125million to land Isak, who could make his Reds debut at Burnley on Sunday.

There was a similar standoff involving Yoane Wissa and Brentford before the Congo forward sealed his move to Newcastle as one of Isak's replacements.

READ MORE:Arne Slot admits Liverpool star isn't happy with him after 'argument' over decisionREAD MORE:Eddie Howe slams Alexander Isak's behaviour as Newcastle move on after Liverpool transfer

The circumstances around those transfers didn’t sit well with former Manchester United and Newcastle striker Louis Saha, who believes the conduct of certain players and agents is taking something away from the game.

Saha told Gambling.com: "Yeah, that's sad [Isak and Wissa forcing moves to other clubs].

Sometimes you can get sacked for two or three bad games.

Isak refused to play for Eddie Howe amid his transfer standoff(Image: 2024 Getty Images)

"So there are a lot of elements where the commercial aspect has been very ruthless and not nice.

This is why the agents may have said to those guys, 'I don't care about your image, do the thing that's going to get us the move,' and he [the agent] is not getting exposed."

Saha suspects some players may feel compelled to act against their wishes, adding: "I'm sure that the players want to respect the team and the players around them [in the club they want to leave].

"But this is a strategy, and those guys are forced to do things that they may dislike.