'That four months were a nightmare and everybody at the club couldn't wait for him to move on: when you've got a player who doesn't want to be there, it can be an absolute nightmare' Jamie Carragher on why Toon should offload Alexander Isak

Newcastle United should offload Alexander Isak because of the noise surrounding the transfer.

That's according to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who says that the Swede – ranked at no.4 in FourFourTwo's list of the best strikers in the world right now – is becoming too much of a distraction at St James' Park and that the situation is becoming a “nightmare” for manager Eddie Howe.

The Liverpool legend even admitted that he didn't particularly want Isak to come to Anfield – here's everything that Carragher said regarding the future of Isak and why his own experiences have shaped his view that the Toon should get rid of their all-time record signing.

Jamie Carragher: Newcastle United don't have the problem of Alexander Isak every day

“I don't think a deal was ever going to get done before this game. I couldn't see that. It'll be interesting what happens in the next few days. For me, I can't believe that [for] Liverpool, it's just Isak or no one, but it does feel like that the closer we are getting to the end of of the window.

“Now, [Monday Night Football guest] Thierry [Henry] just said that it's almost like a must for Liverpool to sign Isak. I've never been of that opinion. So, I'm one of the sort of few Liverpool fans who are probably not all in on has to be Isak, we have to spend this money. And I've I've mentioned those reasons why I don't think he's as durable as, maybe, a Mo Salah. Actually, in the last three seasons, he's missed 36 league games. It's almost a season out of three seasons he's been at Newcastle.

“But what I'm going to say is now this is not because I'm thinking, ‘I want Isak at Liverpool.’ I think Newcastle should sell Isak. And the reason I say that is because there'll be so many people outside of Newcastle telling Newcastle and Eddie Howe what they have to do: ‘You've got to be strong. You've got to show Liverpool or any other club. You've got to show in the future that players can't just come in and demand to go.’

“But they don't have the problem of Isak every day. They don't have the problem Eddie Howe has of every press conference going in there and getting asked questions about it. It's a cloud over the club constantly.

“And the reason I say this [is] because I've got experience of it. We had this with Fernando Torres at Liverpool, where he didn't really want to be at the club. He ended up staying, and we got rid of him – not got rid of him – but we sold him in the January. That four or five months was a nightmare for the club and everybody at the club couldn't wait for him to move on.

“The reason being is and it's similar to Newcastle. Newcastle as a club are here [gestures with hand], delighted to be in the Champions League. Isak is a player who wants to win the Champions League. [MNF presenter Dave Jones: “Newcastle want to get there as well, don't they?”] But they're not there now, and he's 25, 26.

Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry debate Alexander Isak's future 🔎 - YouTube

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“The point I'm making again is when we were going for for the Champions League at Liverpool, we had some world-class players. As soon as our level dropped, people like Torres, world-class-player, Mascherano, world-class player, Xabi Alonso, world-class player, wanted to leave because there's too much of a gap between where they are as players and where the club are.

“So, it's not me just sort of having a go at Newcastle and wanting their player to come to Liverpool. I've got experience of that situation. And when you've got a player who doesn't want to be there, it can be an absolute nightmare.