Newcastle told to sell Alexander Isak 'this week' by club legend as he slams 'shambles' of a saga amid £150m Liverpool link

Liverpool are accelerating their pursuit of the Swedish forward with the transfer deadline days away. Newcastle have stood firm all summer, insisting their prized asset is worth every penny of the £150m valuation. But with time running out, pressure is mounting to either cash in or risk dragging the bad blood into the new season.

Waddle toldEsports Bets: "If I were Newcastle, I would sell Alexander Isak this week. I know a lot of fans are urging the club to keep him to punish him, but we’re not talking about a player that is worth a couple million pounds. Isak’s transfer would be a nine-figure sum – an incredible amount of money; there’s too much money involved for him to sit in the reserves. If he does leave and Liverpool is his destination, I’d take the £100m plus add-ons and that would be the end of the chapter. The whole situation has been a shambles; it’s been handled like a pub team – it’s embarrassing. Whether it’s Isak himself or his agent, they’ve gone about it in completely the wrong way.”

Whether Newcastle agree to sell could hinge on one crucial deal: the pursuit of Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. The 24-year-old Norwegian impressed last season, and Eddie Howe sees him as a potential successor. Newcastle have already lodged a £55m ($74m) bid, which was swiftly rejected by Wolves. If the Magpies can up their offer and seal the deal, the path for Isak’s departure could suddenly be cleared.

Even if Newcastle pull off a deal for Larsen, Waddle is adamant: none of them can match Isak’s technical brilliance.

“Isak is going to be very hard to replace – he picks the ball up in deeper areas and can create a goal all by himself," he said. "No one available on the market is as technically adept as Isak; more often than not, they require service and the ball in the box to score. While Jorgen Strand Larsen and Nicolas Jackson have been linked as possible replacements, neither are on Isak’s level.

“I’m sure there are some hidden gems around the world in other continents like South America or Africa that could grow to become a similar player, but I don’t know of anyone in the Premier League who would be a realistic replacement.”

For Liverpool, landing Isak would be a statement of intent, a world-class forward who could transform their attack for years to come. But dragging Newcastle to the table has proved a painful process. If the Reds fail to strike a deal before Monday’s deadline, Isak will be left at Howe's mercy at St. James' Park. A proposition that he desperately wants to avoid after souring the relationship with the club hierarchy.