‘I’ll tell you a secret’ – Rafa Benitez reveals how Newcastle United really feel about Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak’s British record move to Liverpool caused significant anger at Newcastle, with the striker exiled from the squad as he forced the transfer through.
Isak missed the entirety of Newcastle’s pre-season and trained separately from his teammates as he expressed a desire to join Liverpool much earlier in the transfer window.
Many criticised Isak for the way he forced his move to Anfield, with three years remaining on his contract at Newcastle, but his move materialised on deadline day, while Marc Guehi’s transfer from Crystal Palace fell through.
Newcastle have replaced Isak with Nick Woltemade, but they will miss Isak after he established himself as one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
Rafa Benitez makes Alexander Isak revelation
Liverpool and Newcastle have a lot of shared history, and former manager Rafa Benitez is well-liked at both clubs.
Benitez won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, and was a popular figure at Newcastle despite the woeful ownership of Mike Ashley when he was in the dugout.
Speaking on TNT Sports on Wednesday, 17th September ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid, in which Isak made his debut, Benitez revealed what Newcastle internally think about Isak.
“I will tell you a secret. Talking to Newcastle United people, they say they are missing him because he was doing so well,” Benitez stated.
“He’d adapted to the style and the game.
“He was clever, his movement – he could play in the middle or go wide and so I think it will be a great signing for Liverpool and a big miss for Newcastle United.”
Alexander Isak can lead Liverpool to glory
The Sweden star developed into one of the best strikers in the world at Newcastle, but while Isak did lead them to Carabao Cup glory, he left in search of major silverware.
Isak has made Liverpool favourites for the Champions League, and he hope to make the difference in the knockout stages, as the Reds have not progressed beyond the round of 16 since 2022.
Newcastle will certainly miss Isak, given the role he played in the cup, as well as helping lead them to a top-four finish, but with Woltemade scoring on his Premier League debut, they will hope that they can adapt quickly to life without the new Liverpool star.
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