Liverpool transfer target Alexander Isak made news this week when he decided to skip the 2025 Professional Footballers Awards being held in Manchester on Tuesday, with the player wanting to avoid the limelight in the midst of an increasingly acrimonious transfer saga.
While not present at the ceremony, as expected Isak was named to the PFA team of the year, joining a best eleven including five current Liverpool players in Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, and summer
signing and former Bournemouth player Milos Kerkez.
In response, Isak released a statement on social media to acknowledge the honour, thank his teammates, and touch on the current situation—a situation it’s clear he believes has been misrepresented in the press and where he feels wronged by Newcastle.
“I’m proud to be recognised by my fellow professionals,” Isak’s statement began. “First and foremost, I was to thank my teammates and everyone at Newcastle United who has supported me along the way. I’m not as the ceremony tonight. With everything going on, it didn’t feel right to be there.
“I’ve kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken. That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events even though they know it doesn’t reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors. The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time.
“To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading. When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue. That’s where things are for me right now—and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself.”
With less than two weeks to go in the transfer window, Newcastle continue to struggle to bring in a replacement for the player, who Liverpool have signalled they would be willing to pay a British record fee to sign. It has been speculated those struggles could stop the transfer going through.
It seems clear, though, that from Isak’s point of view there is no appetite to return, and that he feels promises have been broken. Past reporting has outlined a situation where Isak agreed to give Newcastle one more season last summer in exchange for being allowed to leave in 2025 for a suitable fee.
