Wed 10 Apr 2024, 11:59 · Ash Harrison

Jose Enrique thinks Newcastle should cash in on in-demand forward if offers over £70m come in this summer

Jose Enrique thinks Newcastle should cash in on in-demand forward if offers over £70m come in this summer
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Former Newcastle United defender Jose Enrique has come out with a frankly baffling statement that I can't see many fans agreeing with.

One thing that makes football so interesting, away from the action, is that everyone has their own opinions when it comes to pretty much every aspect of the game, but sometimes, these opinions are best kept to yourself as they can make you look a right fool.

Case in point, Jose Enrique, once of this Parish, has now come out and said Newcastle should look to sell Alexander Isak if they can get back what they paid for him.

In such a brief statement, there's a lot to unpack, but we'll cover what he actually said before we pull it apart.

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"What's he saying about me?"

There's so much wrong in so few sentences

Speaking to Grosvenor Sport (via The Chronicle), Enrique cited Isak's injury record as the main reason to offload him this summer.

“The problem with Alexander Isak – and we’ve said this about him even when he was at Real Sociedad – is that he’s always injured. The way Newcastle want to play is with high intensity and pressing from the front and you can’t be expected to fulfil that if you’re getting three or four injuries every year. Callum Wilson has exactly the same problem by the way – he misses far too many games too. If someone comes along and offers them the £70m that they spent to sign him in the first place then they need to think about it.

“I don’t understand how the owners with all their money have come along and bought the club yet they’re not being allowed to spend like Manchester City and Chelsea have done in the past. The reality is that they’re performing badly against FFP regulations and are going to have to sell someone.

“It’s not just a question of quality – I think Isak is that good that he can play for Liverpool or Manchester United for example – but it’s a question of availability too. He’s too injury prone, to the extent that if someone came with a lot of money this summer which gave Newcastle the opportunity to sign someone slightly worse but consistently fit, they’d have to consider that option.”
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Prepare for a detailed breakdown of why he's wrong

So you thought our brief summation was bad? Yeah, it's a billion times worse when you look at the whole thing. Let's pull it apart now, shall we?

"We've said this about him when he was at Real Sociedad". Alexander Isak missed four games through injury at Real Sociedad, he played 132 times. Not off to a great start here, Jose.

"If someone comes along and offers them the £70m that they spent to sign him in the first place then they need to think about it". Arsenal and Tottenham were said to be readying £100million bids just last week, why would we entertain £70m bids?

“I don’t understand how the owners with all their money have come along and bought the club yet they’re not being allowed to spend like Manchester City and Chelsea have done in the past. The reality is that they’re performing badly against FFP regulations and are going to have to sell someone". FFP wasn't a thing when City and Chelsea did it - Newcastle are performing as well as can be expected given the limitations. What the chuff else are they supposed to be doing? Ridiculous statement.

“It’s not just a question of quality – I think Isak is that good that he can play for Liverpool or Manchester United". So, what you're saying is, he's too good for Newcastle. Then just say that, don't try and justify your poor take by using his injury record as an excuse.

The reality is, Enrique just doesn't want to see someone do well at Newcastle, someone who can take the club to the next level and threaten Liverpool.

Is Isak's injury record at Newcastle a worry? Of course it is, but we aren't blaming the player, there's something clearly going on at the club, you just have to look at the injury record this season to see that. Isak never struggled with injury before he turned up on our doorstep. Selling him, especially for just £7million more than we paid for him would be an act of lunacy.