Power is shifting away from Isak in ugly transfer saga

It was only minutes after the PFA team of the year departed the stage at Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, with just 10 players rather than 11, that Alexander Isak decided to make his presence felt in a different way.

- MIGUEL DELANEY CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER

You could sense the ripple around the room as people began to animatedly tell each other of the Swede's social statement, the first time that he has publicly spoken on this summer's dominant saga. More than a few players raised their eyebrows. Everyone was taking it in.

Isak's talk of broken promises and that a change is best for all parties felt like a point of no return... except Newcastle United are now more determined than ever not to let him go to Liverpool or anywhere else.

It was quite an event for all of this to coincide, and, of course, a significant part of the story. Isak's performances for Newcastle last season saw him voted into the team chosen by his peers, while also pushing Mohamed Salah for the overall award. Newcastle didn't block him attending, but they obviously weren't going to join him, and he himself didn't feel right appearing.

Although this is the prize the Professional Footballers' Association is best known for, it is actually a trade union, representing players' affairs. The Opera House and after-party were consequently full of executives, agents and lawyers - as well as players - trying to make sense of this situation.

A common line was that no normal employee is refused the possibility to just change jobs in this way... but then sport does require special agreements in order to function. We are at a point when many of these agreements are being legally challenged like never before, such as in the Lassana Diarra case, which could yet blow up the global transfer market. The Isak saga may not necessarily help that along, though.

A consensus has grown that the striker might have gone too far.