Jamie Carragher cites Liverpool precedent with advice to Newcastle on what to do with Isak | OneFootball

Jamie Carragher has pointed to a case study from his days as a Liverpool player in dispensing advice to Newcastle regarding Alexander Isak.

The Swedish striker has made no secret of his desire to leave St James’ Park amid constant speculation over a potential transfer to Anfield, and it’s no surprise that he isn’t involved with Eddie Howe’s side for their match against the Reds tonight.

Despite the 25-year-old publicly accusing his employers of breaking ‘promises’ made to him, the Magpies remain insistent that they won’t sell him unless their ‘conditions’ for a sale are met, i.e. they sign at least one replacement and receive an offer which meets their asking price.

Carragher explains why ‘Newcastle should sell Isak’

Speaking on Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football, Carragher claimed that Newcastle should cash in on Isak and extricate themselves from the circus surrounding the player, with the pundit referring back to a somewhat similar situation with Fernando Torres at Liverpool during the 2010/11 season.

(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

The former Reds defender said: “I think Newcastle should sell Isak. The reason I say that is that there will be so many people outside telling Newcastle and Eddie Howe what they need to do – ‘You have to be strong. You have to show Liverpool or any other club that players cannot just come in and demand to go.’

“But they don’t have the problem of Isak every day. They don’t have the problem that Eddie Howe has of going to every press conference and being asked about it. It is a cloud over the club constantly.

“The reason I say that is because I have experience of it. We had this with Fernando Torres at Liverpool where he did not really want to be at the club. He ended up staying and we sold him in the January. That four or five months was a nightmare for the club and everyone at the club could not wait for him to move on.

“It is not just me having a go at Newcastle and wanting their player to come to Liverpool. I have experience of that situation and when you have a player who does not want to be there it can be an absolute nightmare.”

(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Carragher is speaking from a position of experience

Non-Liverpool supporters will immediately accuse Carragher of having a hidden agenda over wanting Isak at Anfield due to his long-standing association with the Reds, but the pundit has actually questioned his former club over the price they could end up paying for the 25-year-old.

The ex-LFC defender was playing for us at the time that Torres handed in a transfer request, which was initially rejected by the club’s hierarchy before he was ultimately sold to Chelsea at the end of January 2011.

The Spanish striker’s attitude was questioned at times that season as the Merseysiders struggled during the unhappy and short-lived reign of Roy Hodgson at what was a truly miserable time to be a Liverpool fan both on and off the pitch.

Carragher has firsthand experience of sharing a dressing room with a teammate who clearly wanted out, hence why he believes it might be to Newcastle’s benefit if they were to sanction an exit for Isak.

Of course, the situation is complicated by the lack of centre-forward alternatives at St James’ Park if they sell the prolific Swede, and also by them having only a week remaining to address that in the transfer market.

Liverpool will continue to hope that the Tyneside hierarchy eventually align with his point of view and decide to cash in on the 25-year-old, who’s conspicuous by his absence from tonight’s match.