Newcastle United’s hierarchy have been urged to take a stronger stance amid the ongoing Alexander Isak transfer saga.
The striker’s refusal to join the Magpies’ pre-season tour of Asia, coupled with his desire to leave, has left supporters frustrated. Liverpool have already seen a £110million bid rejected.
Speaking to talkSPORT, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan criticised the club’s Public Investment Fund ownership for remaining silent.
He claimed the lack of communication has left fans in the dark and suggested Newcastle should have handled the situation with more authority.
Jordan compared the situation to Nottingham Forest’s firm approach with Morgan Gibbs-White, insisting clearer leadership could prevent further disruption. The saga remains one of the most high-profile stories of the summer transfer window.
“This situation was always going to come up, Isak was always going to be sought after, he was always going to be a player in demand,” Jordan said on talkSPORT.
“So there was always going to be this position where they needed to clarify very clearly with the player what they were going to be doing with him.
“We can’t listen to players turn around and say that we had a gentleman’s agreement, we had an understanding because it’s all rubbish.
“My belief is that, if Newcastle had been stronger in the same way that Nottingham Forest were strong enough with Morgan Gibbs-White when that situation reared its head, when big clubs don’t want a player to leave, more often than not, that player doesn’t leave.
“In this instance, Newcastle are morphing from a club that’s very big with a very passionate fan base into a club that wants to be amongst the legacy football clubs.
“That step is a difficult one because the owners are well-seeded financially, they’re pretty compliant with the governance of the game, they’re not pushing the envelope. In this instance, I think the vacuum of leadership has allowed Isak and his agent to do what they’re doing.”
