For Newcastle United, the 2024 summer window is a moment that could completely transform the squad.
Last summer, Newcastle United was in a precarious situation due to PSR and was forced to discuss a swap deal involving Anthony Gordon with Liverpool.
In addition, Chelsea also contacted Newcastle's senior management regarding Isak, but the approach was quickly rejected. However, uncertainty loomed in the dressing room, and the team's form at the start of the season was inconsistent.
"If your best players are not performing well, the team will never shine," a first-team source said midway through the 2024-25 season. “There are different reasons behind all of this, but overall, a key question is, do they still want to stay here?”
There are doubts about the club's direction of development, and there has been a lack of updates on news regarding a new stadium or training ground. As Staveley bid farewell to Newcastle, the atmosphere within the team has become completely different.
"The atmosphere is much colder," the first-team source said. “The previous synergy has disappeared. The team has lost connection, and the players feel isolated. No one has come to explain the team's vision or ambitions.”
These words may sound exaggerated, but they ultimately had little effect.
Eddie Howe, along with several of his key players, struggled to hold the team together. By May, Newcastle United won the League Cup and returned to the Champions League, with fans celebrating an achievement of a generation. They were once a strong team, but can they now be considered a strong club?
In terms of finances and contract duration, Newcastle United is under no pressure to sell Isak. "To some extent, we are in control of his next move," Howe said on Tuesday. “I would like to believe that we still have all the possibilities. I hope he stays, but it is not entirely up to me.”
Control is a fluid feast. Football may be a business, with players as commodities, but it also profoundly embodies humanity, with human reactions and emotions.
Liverpool controls whether they make an offer and how much it is. Newcastle United controls their response to the offer (if one comes in). Isak controls his response to the offer and whether he accepts their decision.
Until all this settles, there is little truth. Each party has its own version of the truth, and no one is willing to compromise first.
