Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has already dropped a huge hint that his future is very much at St James’ Park.
Among the post-January transfer window narratives to begin unfolding this month has been a theory that the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak will leave if Newcastle don’t qualify for the Champions League. Although, in the aftermath of the Carabao Cup win over Arsenal, both stars committed to life at St James’ Park and spoke about their tunnel vision to enjoy domestic success.
When quizzed on what would mean most to him this season out of Champions League qualification or the League Cup, Isak stated it was the famous old English trophy. And Bruno weighed in: “Even in my wildest dreams I couldn’t think about it, in my first season as captain to lift a trophy for this club for the first time in a long long time. Wow. It would be massive.”
The man tasked with keeping both stars was quickly down the tunnel to share the success of the current team with the players and staff last night. Sporting director Paul Mitchell was one of the first to congratulate Eddie Howe on reaching the Carabao Cup final.
Much was made at the start of the season about sporting director Mitchell’s arrival along with performance director James Bunce. However, Bunce made his way to the field at the final whistle and was on hand to hug Howe and his backroom team after the 2-0 win over Arsenal.
Mitchell then made his way down to the tunnel area to offer his gratitude to Howe and the backroom staff although he stopped short of appearing in the team photo. Although, Bunce joined backroom members at the back of the shot that went viral on social media shortly after the game.
Despite a turbulent transfer window – caused by PSR issues rather than internal problems – in which Lloyd Kelly was effectively sold to Juventus and Miguel Almiron moved on to his old club Atlanta, it feels like Howe, Mitchell and Bunce are all reading off the same page.
And even though there are no guarantees in terms of a big transfer kitty this summer, it feels like there is a determination from within to keep the current group together. The build-up to the game also seen Alexander Isak suggest that qualifying for the Champions League is not a deal breaker for him to stay committed to the club.
Indeed, when asked what he would prefer to do this season out of qualify for the Champions League or pick up a Carabao Cup winners medal, he chose the big day and win at Wembley. Of course, Newcastle could yet manage both but with Isak clearly happy on Tyneside, it will not make good listening for the likes of Paul Merson.
Following the defeat for Merson’s beloved Arsenal in the League Cup, the ex-England star began to speculate about Isak’s future again.
On Isak, Merson told Sky Sports: “It’ll come down to money. I don’t know the lad but that is what it more likely comes down to.
“Someone comes in and they offer a lot of money it will be hard. At the moment they are in the final, will they win it?
“If they play Tottenham maybe. If they play Liverpool it’s going to be harder.
“I was thinking where (Isak) could go, he’s not going to Man City, not Man United, he’s not going to go to Tottenham or Aston Villa.
“I think he can only go to Arsenal in the whole world really, unless it’s Real Madrid and they have Mbappe. For me it’s only Arsenal where he can go and it will be up to him if he wants to play for Arsenal where he might win something or go to Newcastle and might win something.”
Merson’s remarks irked the Newcastle fanbase again but Eddie Howe has already shut down Merson’s comments when saying last month: “Our players are loved by us and wanted by us.
“I don’t see that [Isak and Arsenal talk] being an issue for us, especially in this window. We have so many big games to come and we are very focused, and the players are focused on having a great season, that is all that concerns at the moment.”
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