'We need to look at what's needed': Warren Barton says Newcastle United need to pay Alexander Isak what he wants
Right now, it feels like Newcastle United are stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to Alexander Isak.
It's very clear that liverpool want him, and Al-Hilal for that matter, both clubs are confident that they have the money it would take to do so, although Liverpool's alleged offer of £120 million does fall around £30 million short of Newcastle's valuation - but how many times have we lowballed other clubs when bidding for their players?
Right now, after being sent home ahead of the Celtic game, training alone this week and now, and not heading to Asia, it's hard to see any other likelihood that Isak is agitating for a move.
He's reportedly complaining of a thigh injury, but scans on the injury are coming back clear, which is only adding fuel to the fire.
Warren Barton is very much of the thinking that Newcastle should just give Isak whatever he wants
There have also been reports that Isak is demanding £300,000-a-week to remain at St James' Park, which would obliterate the club's current wage structure. However, former Magpie Warren Barton has told SportsBoom (via The Mag) that Newcastle should just give him what he wants.
“I would give Alexander Isak the contract he wants. I’m not saying letting him hold the club to ransom, but he’s a great young player.
“Look what Mohamed Salah did [at Liverpool]. He’s not at his level just yet, he’s got to still do it at a higher level, but I’m sure the club can offer incentives and other benchmarks.
“I just think the club need to make that decision now to go forward. Are we going to be that elite club where demands and expectations are high?
“That’s some of the things that Isak will demand. A lot of it could be on incentives, can you get 25 goals again next season? Can you become the Premier League’s top goal scorer? These are the sort of questions strikers like, it’s what motivates them.”
“For Newcastle now, we do have to start looking at breaking a little bit of the pay structure. We need to look at what’s needed and what it might be if we are going to compete at the top.
“We’re in the Champions League this season and we won our first trophy [EFL Cup] for 70 years, so for me it’s about paying more when we need to.
“When I was at the club Faustino Asprilla and David Ginola came in – and the wages were high. Les Ferdinand came in as well. Peter Beardsley was obviously the first big one [signing], but then they [the club] broke the structure for Les, David and Tino. And, ultimately, for Alan Shearer, so we’ve got to go with the times.”
Have we mentioned how much we despise PSR?
There's a lot of sense in what Warren Barton is saying, but it's also not as easy as all of that. The knock-on effects in terms of PSR would render the club unable to do any business again, and when we eventually can, players will see the current wage structure with Isak at the top on £300K-a-week and demand something similar.
Of course, were PSR not an issue, absolutely none of this would be a problem for the PIF, but that's not the reality we currently have to deal with.
We stand by the idea that if Alexander Isak is genuinely throwing his weight around and making it all about money, then just sell him to Al-Hilal and let him go and play in the glorified Sunday League competition. He's clearly not in it for the game.
If it is genuinely him pressing for a move to play for the Premier League champions, then kindly remind him that he has three years on his current deal and in that time, if he stays, and we can SIGN SOME CHUFFING PLAYERS.. ahem ... he could find himself at the Premier League champions before his contract expires.
