Newcastle United’s summer has descended into crisis on multiple fronts

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, club talisman Alexander Isak—valued at €120 million—has once again rejected a contract extension and is now refusing to train, making it clear that his sole wish is to join Liverpool this summer, with no intention of staying.

The bad news doesn’t stop there. Newcastle have suffered blow after blow in the transfer market, missing out on nine top targets. Manchester United hijacked moves for Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Šeško; Chelsea beat them to Liam Delap and João Pedro; while Mohammed Kudus chose Tottenham, Hugo Ekitike joined Liverpool, Anton Weissen signed for Real Madrid, and James Trafford moved to Manchester City. As it stands, Newcastle have only brought in Anthony Elanga and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale—far from the squad reinforcement fans had hoped for.

On the pitch, things look equally grim. In five pre-season matches, Newcastle failed to secure a single win, drawing with Espanyol and Tottenham, and suffering defeats to Arsenal, Celtic, and the K League All-Stars. With no major reinforcements and their star striker pushing for a move, Newcastle face a daunting season ahead, juggling Premier League and Champions League commitments with a thin squad.