Alexander Isak braces himself for daunting reunion with Newcastle

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When Liverpool’s team bus turns a tight corner and inches down the narrow, covered, access road behind Newcastle’s Milburn Stand on Sunday, Alexander Isak will know there are no hiding places. Similarly, Isak’s less-than-ideal preparation during a summer when he skipped Newcastle’s pre-season tour of south east Asia ensured that he became a shadow of the striker Slot craved, let alone the teammate an ageing Salah needed.

“When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue,” he posted.The manner of Alexander Isak’s departure from St James’ Park didn’t go down well with the Toon Army. Newcastle’s oft-reiterated message was that Isak would eventually be “reintegrated” but things changed on the afternoon of 25 August when a delegation featuring senior figures from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) visited Isak’s home in well-heeled Darras Hall for conciliation talks.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionThey departed without any rapprochement and five days later the Germany forward Nick Woltemade joined Newcastle from Stuttgart for £69m.

The French forward had been a long-term Howe target and the enduring puzzle about “Isakgate” is why Newcastle, then struggling to comply with football’s spending rules, did not sell Isak to Liverpool earlier in the summer, when Slot would subsequently have been unlikely to move for Ekitiké. Matters were complicated by Newcastle’s then outgoing chief executive, Darren Eales, being absent on medical leave and the lack of a sporting director after Paul Mitchell’s departure following a power struggle with Howe.This vacuum promoted the manager’s nephew, Andy Howe, into a senior recruitment role as Newcastle reinvested £55m of the Isak money on Brentford’s Yoane Wissa.