'When you start selling your best players it's like punching all the supporters in the stomach'

NEWCASTLE United's owners have been urged to put their foot down to stop Alexander Isak from leaving St James’ Park.

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Liverpool had an opening bid of £100million for the Swedish striker turned down by the Magpies yesterday. The offer is understood to have fallen short of United's £150m valuation of the player, who scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season.

Former Premier League striker and Newcastle coach Dean Saunders has now called on club owners PIF to resist letting Isak go to Anfield.

Saunders, who worked for the Magpies under Graeme Souness, warned sanctioning the move would be like “punching supporters in the stomach".

Speaking on talkSPORT, the ex-Wolves and Wrexham manager, said: “Newcastle haven't really had a good transfer window... and losing Isaac is going to be a massive blow for them. How do you replace him?

“It's a dilemma because he signed a five-year contract at Newcastle and he's got three years left. Liverpool have come knocking, and he's said to Newcastle, ‘Right, I want to go.’ The owners are so rich that they could say to him, ‘Well, no, you're not going. We don't care what the price is.’

because there’s only so much we can actually do. We don’t actually know a lot. People always think players know the ins and outs, and the reality is we don’t. You guys (journalists) tell us most of the time!