‘It was easy to judge Alexander Isak when we were only hearing Newcastle United’s side of the story – these kinds of arguments happen at all clubs, it happened to me with Tony Pulis’ Former Liverpool attacker DEFENDS star at centre of transfer dispute

Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak remains in limbo, as he attempts to secure a move to Liverpool before the closure of the transfer window.

The Swede has not featured for the Magpies since telling the club that he wanted to leave, and has been widely criticised for being absent during pre-season.

Isak also missed the PFA awards night on Tuesday, instead releasing a statement that made his views on the situation public for the first time.

The player's side of the story

Former Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant would like to see Isak move to Anfield by September 1, if a deal can be agreed.

Asked what he thinks about the way Isak has approached the situation, Pennant can empathise, having been in a reasonably similar situation during his own career.

“It happened to me on a much lower scale, but I was going to Leeds on loan, it was all agreed and out of nowhere Tony Pulis blocked it,” Pennant explained.

‘He said ‘You’re going to be in my plans’, but then for the next game against Everton, he put me in the stands. I wasn't happy with that at all.

“I was like ‘So you stopped me from going to play first-team football, then told me I was going to be in your plans, then at the next opportunity you put me in the stand to watch the game as a fan?’

“That didn’t sit well, I showed my frustration and the week after that I was training with the kids and told not to be around the first team.

“So it goes both ways, and because this one with Alexander Isak is on such a massive scale, it’s in the spotlight. But this goes on throughout all clubs, these kinds of arguments, back and forth.

“We were only hearing one side of it, we were only hearing what he was not doing from the Newcastle hierarchy and we weren't hearing from Isak – what he’d been told, what he’d been promised, what they’d actually had a conversation about.

“It’s easy to judge after just hearing one side of the story. He seems like a good guy, there’s obviously been a reason for what he’s been doing and how he’s been reacting. There was always more to the story than we actually knew.”

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