'Something's got to be done': Former Newcastle United coach has taken aim at agents using Alexander Isak as prime example
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has gone from being one of the most adored players on Tyneside to one of the most despised in just a matter of weeks.
The Swedish striker scored the winning goal at Wembley in March as Newcastle United lifted their first domestic trophy in 70 years.
The 25-year-old went on to sing the praises of the club, his teammates and the fans in several interviews after the cup success, but underneath it all was a dark truth.
Alexander Isak had already started agitating for a move away from Newcastle after Paul Mitchell denied him a pay rise after he'd been promised one by Amanda Staveley, and this started the striker thinking about his next destination.
Dean Saunders feels agents are running football
That little niggle has manifested into a very ugly situation now, where Isak has gone on strike and is pushing for a move to Liverpool. However, former Newcastle coach Dean Saunders isn't blaming Isak as much as he is his agent. Saunders told OLBG that agents are running football now, and something has to be done about it.
"Agents are running football. In my opinion. The agents are in charge of what goes on. There's no way Alexander Isak is telling Eddie Howe I'm not playing for Newcastle again.
"It's his agent. He thinks, how can I get him out of there? Who's going to give me the most commission? How can I get some commission from somewhere?
"He doesn't care about Isak. He doesn't care about Newcastle. He's thinking, how can I get £15 million commission? Something silly like that. So they've got too much power and something's got to be done about it."
Agents need to have their wings clipped
Agents have long been the devil on players' shoulders, but nothing ever seems to be done about it. We understand they're a necessary evil, but they have. far too much influence on a player's future.
As Saunders says, more often than not, it's all self-serving. The agent is just after making money for himself rather than what's good for his client.
Agent fees also count towards PSR, so clubs are getting screwed twice by agents when a player is coming and going.
