Isak affair has overshadowed what should have been a summer bursting with optimism

INSIDERS KNEW THE GAME WAS UP

- By LEE RYDER Chief Newcastle writer [e-mail] @lee_ryder

NEWCASTLE United senior figures accepted long ago that Alexander Isak’s time at St James’ Park was up - it was always merely a question of whether they could command the right fee for his services.

Across a 55-day period, insiders at Newcastle never once stated that Isak would definitely not be sold or was “not for sale” and while Liverpool fans were left sweating, the deal to sell Isak for a fixed price few plus the waiving of some loyalty fees earned United a healthy £130m.

We followed the Isak story every step of the way this summer from Benton to Celtic Park then on to Singapore and South Korea and back to the UK putting in days of enquiries and checks amid a media frenzy, and every time the word was that Isak was more than likely to go - if the price was right.

The reality is that while £150m was bandied frequently at the beginning, the likelihood of that type of number decreased on August 1 when Liverpool's opening offer was £110m - after that, there was always going to be just one more bid, and Newcastle accepted it.

Coaching staff knew, through reading between the lines and Isak’s stubborn resistance not join the group on preseason, that the game was up and a replacement - a high-profile one - was needed quickly.

It was in danger of becoming toxic and even the arrival of Anthony Elanga, Isak’s big mate, did not sway the centre-forward to think again about staying on Tyneside.

One insider said: “In Austria, it was clear something was wrong. He then didn’t travel with the squad to Celtic or on to the Far East.

“It wasn’t just the agent turning his head, he was keen to leave. The staff knew if he didn’t go to Singapore and South Korea that he’d be off, and so it proved.”

Ambitious bids for Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko were placed across what has been a turbulent summer at St James’ Park before eventually landing Nick Woltemade and then Yoane Wissa.