Rooney: Isak’s Newcastle Stay ‘Very Difficult’ as Liverpool Move Looms

The future of Alexander Isak has dominated transfer discussions this summer, and former England captain Wayne Rooney believes the Swedish striker’s stay at Newcastle United is becoming increasingly unlikely, Sport360NG reports.

Newcastle turned down a £110m bid from Liverpool on 1 August, but the 25-year-old is reportedly intent on making the move to Anfield.

Speaking on his new BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, the ex-Manchester United forward suggested that a transfer could now be the best outcome for all parties involved.

“Isak is a fantastic player,” Rooney said. “I think it’s going to be hard for him to remain at Newcastle. I’ve seen plenty of fans saying he’s handled things the wrong way.

“Of course, you’d expect the club’s hierarchy to want to keep him, losing a player like that when you’re trying to build a side capable of challenging for the title is a massive blow.

“But with financial fair play and PSR rules, it might actually help Newcastle to sell. It would give them funds to strengthen in other areas and possibly make the squad even stronger.

“For Isak, joining Liverpool, fresh from winning the Premier League, is a huge opportunity.”

Rooney, who experienced his own share of high-profile transfer sagas, recalled the intensity of speculation during his Manchester United career, including rumours of a possible switch to rivals Manchester City.

The tension once escalated to the point where, he said, a group of masked supporters came to his home in the middle of the night.

“It was about 3am, Coleen was up feeding Kai, and she woke me to say there were people outside,” Rooney explained. “I went down, called the police, and told them, ‘What are you doing here at this hour? This isn’t right.’

“What they didn’t know was that I was set to sign a new deal the next morning. I think they believed turning up at my house would make me stay!

“Fans will vent frustration at games, and that’s part of football, but showing up at players’ homes crosses a line.”