Alexander Isak was still officially a Newcastle United player, but it didn’t feel that way when Eddie Howe’s team faced Liverpool at a heated St James’ Park in August. One Newcastle fan even wore a shirt with Isak’s name and number scratched off, showing how angry supporters were.
By then, Isak had gone on strike to force a move to Liverpool, while away fans loudly urged Newcastle to “hand him over” during a dramatic 3-2 match. Just days later, Isak completed a British record £125m move to Liverpool.
Now, the two teams meet for the first time since the transfer. Isak will miss the game again due to a broken leg, and Howe says he has moved on. However, the Newcastle boss admitted the whole saga was a major distraction. He said it did not bring the club closer together and instead made it harder to prepare the team, calling it “the most talked-about thing in world football” at the time — something he would rather not see happen again.
