Isak vs. Newcastle: Rio Reacts to the Isak Transfer Drama

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0:40Yes, guys, welcome back to the channel. Today we are diving into the biggest transfer saga of the summer. Alexander Isak and Newcastle are at Loggerheads. We don't know who is telling the truth. We don't know what story is true. We don't know what X player is telling the truth or knows what he knows is the truth. Where is the truth? And that's the problem with these sagas is that no one actually comes out ever and goes, listen, this is the nuts and bolts of it. And this is exactly what's happening. Now, I understand why that is because the club's protecting their side of things and the players protecting their side.

1:17And this is a who blinks first type of scenario. but it looks like obviously a player trying to force a move and a club trying to get absolute value for money so I want to get into this I want to break this down from every angle because there's a lot of nuances here first let's talk about the agent we all see the player's frustrations but let's not forget what the agent did what he achieved they took him from well they took Isaac from Zaragoza and brought him to Newcastle for£65 million, by the way. A good amount of money. They secured a six-year contract for the player, which at the time was probably three, four times, maybe more than his actual salary, I would argue.

2:06They secured his family and their financial future, which is great. So the agent did his job to get him a huge, huge life-changing deal. but where did it all go wrong? That's the big question. The£110 million question if that's the number that we're looking at and talking about. The core issue it seems to me is the asking price. That's where I think that both camps aren't meeting in the middle. I understand that the player's feelings that he was promised a move but a promise for me unless it is down on a bit of paper means absolutely nothing in this game of football and we can talk about there's a lot of words that get banded about loyalty honesty

3:01a gentleman's agreement and all this type of stuff it means nothing in this game that's why when people start talking about it and fans do this a lot oh where's the loyalty in the game we've had it with players it doesn't exist and it doesn't exist from both sides and that's the one mistake that I think that Isak and his camp, his agent, have maybe kind of got wrong. They've placed trust in words rather than trust in paperwork. And that's been a big, big problem. Because if they've got this down on paperwork, that guarantee, that promise in paperwork, there's no grey areas. It's black and white.

3:38That's the promise. We signed it. You signed it. The number's been met. I'm going. and we know that Newcastle have a huge asking price and rightly so he's their asset and they're going to price him accordingly to what they feel is the value that they demand him but we know Liverpool have bid£110m and I think the question is is he worth more than that? Do Newcastle value him more than that? and if they're valuing more than that how much more and is it an outrageous ask because that's where then i feel the player gets to go oh a minute you're pricing me out of the market unrealistically and so i have a problem and that's the detail that we need to get from isaac and east camp i think i mean when you look at a chart of transfers of the summer um you have to ask is newcastle's price of for argument's sake 140 or£150 million is that realistic?

4:42Is Isak £30-40 million more expensive than a Virts? Would you say that? If we're to say yes he is then I don't think Liverpool will go and meet that asking price and Isak has to accept that but I think what Isak and his camp needed to do they needed to know what the asking price was and were Liverpool comfortable meeting the asking price and that's the problem I think there's been a gentleman's agreement a promise made at this price that will unlock you ready to go to that club who's asking for you that price has been met but the person that has given the promise has left the football club, I think.

5:38And the new regime and new people in them seats are saying, well, the promise wasn't with us. It was with that individual, not the club. There's no paperwork to say that it's the club backing that. That person promised. They're no longer here. Promised is void. And it's actually saying, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm not happy about that. Now, I think where the club, I think, maybe should have done better is this conversation should have been had as soon as that person left. Now, the nuances I'm talking about is did the person that made the promise who left the football club tell the people coming in, I've got a promise, by the way, with one of our best players, if not the best player, just you want to take that up and you want to maybe start talking about that now, maybe in January or wherever it was, so you don't have this problem in the transfer window in the summer where there's little time, pressure's on, and you're doing it in the public now, and they're airing the dirty laundry.

6:31I think that's been a big mistake, And I think you've got to look at things like these player power moments and verbal agreements. The player refusing to play, refusing to train.

6:47This is a last resort situation. I've been there, I've got to be honest with you, and I get it. I was at Leeds. Manchester United come in with a world record bid for me. I think it was a world record,£30 million, I think it was a world record, for a defender maybe. um but astronomical amount of money now the difference is again the nuance with this was that i knew that leads needed to sell me for financial reasons um but they were angling out for a bit more money and i was saying no no i want to go i need to go now i want to go and get involved with free season and train i was willing to go to the the peter isdow's office the ceo at the time and sit there and wait as long as it takes for him to agree for me to go.

7:35You're not going to hold me here just because you want a few more million. You're getting a huge amount of money and you're not going to price me out of the market. And plus, I know you need to sell me. I want to go and win trophies. Manchester United wanted me, the best manager in the land, in the world at the time, in my mind, wanted me and I wanted to go and play there. So I was willing to do that. and mine didn't actually go public in that sense, but I was very, very committed in my mind that if I had to go public with this, I would have gone with it. Now, not every player is going to do that.

8:07Not every player has the, I don't know, the personality, the character or the balls to do that. I was willing to do that because I had my heart set on going to my United when they came in for me. And I knew that the fans wouldn't like it. And listen, there's a section of Leeds fans that will never, never accept that and will never, ever like me and would never, ever appreciate the way that I left the club. But I think that more of them wouldn't. But I think if you're sensible, you'd understand that, one, I was doing the club a favour in many ways and that I was getting a lot of money in for them because they were in dire straits.

8:44Two, sometimes a player's needs are important as well in this and if he's going to be more committed elsewhere, then you've got to accept that. And I wanted to win trophies and time was told that I won trophies when I went to Manchester United. So it was the right thing to do for me personally. So you've got to take all these things into consideration as a player. But I think Isak, I think he needs to be more transparent, more open and more, I think, brutal if he wants to get out of that football club. That would be my advice to hear as an ex-player who's been in a similar situation. Right, man, we've got loads still to come, right, on this pod, but we'll be back shortly after this.

9:21Hi, I'm Nick, co-host of The Best One Yet. You optimize your workouts, your portfolios, and that rando startup idea that hit you in the middle of the shower. But if you're not hydrated, you're already playing catch-up. So we keep a stash of Liquid IV in our studio. One stick mixed into 16 ounces of water is clinically demonstrated to hydrate faster than water alone with three times the electrolytes of the leading sports drink, plus eight vitamins and nutrients. Whether you're traveling, exercising, or podcasting, the best business news ever, Liquid IV makes it easy to stay hydrated wherever life takes you.

9:49So shop now at liquidiv.com. Liquid IV hydration that goes wherever life takes you. You know that feeling. Too many updates, too many meetings, too many things falling through the cracks. Monday.com was built for that gap. The AI work platform designed from the ground up for people and agents to work side by side and deliver more together. Drafting the brief, flagging risks, running a competitive scan. Your agent can do it all. And the best part, anyone can build one. Even you. Try it. Create your first Monday agent today at Monday.com.

10:50person not the club get it in writing that's my advice to any player now playing the game but what I would say if I was in the position that Issaac's in I would be coming out now and saying exactly what happened I saw his statement still quite a vague statement that gets nobody else on the side that creates no sympathy for himself as a player because he's not given enough detail he should be saying exactly what's happened this person promised me that I could leave the club if this number was met and it's been met I should be able to leave the club and I think you need to tell the fans tell the fans exactly that because if that price is still quite a realistic price in today's market then I think people don't understand how disgruntled he is now if it's an unrealistic asking price now that they've moved the goalpost to then you might get a little bit of sympathy from the fans but if not he's just going to be continually hurting his own image, I think.

11:50And at the same time, I don't think it's right that his image gets hurt, but I do think that he needs to come out and say everything, because if he doesn't do that, then all the fans are going to say, yeah, but you paid this, you paid that, you signed a contract. And I understand that, but it's not always as black and white as that. And I've seen a lot of people talking about this situation and they're trying to make it as black and white as they can. and well if you've got a contract you play to your contract but there's a lot of things that go on that are layered in these situations yeah the missus just walked in it's fine don't worry about it guys that's what happens at home so yeah so what's the bottom line I'm being asked to go for dinner I'm telling you she's cooked dinner I'm being asked to go get a bit of food the bottom line is if Liverpool are asked to pay a realistic asking price then I think the chance they should go ahead.

12:48But if they're not, then I think Newcastle have every right to hold on to the player. But I want to know what you think, guys. I want to know if you think the player should stay. Is this that right to refuse to train if he's been promised something? And should he reveal the asking price that Newcastle agreed on? Let us know in the comments, guys. Let us know your thoughts on the thing. Let us know the temperature, where you think it is. Should he stay? Should he go? what are you Newcastle fans thinking? Because I understand their plan, what they're thinking, their rage. One of our players doesn't want to play for the badge and said he's not going to play because he's not getting transferred to a different team.

13:27They're not going to be happy. But is there any understanding in that fan base at all for the player and what his desires are, what he wants and what he needs? Because you have to remember, Newcastle, you're going to get a hefty profit as well. Our Newcastle is their stance, we will not be bullied. We will not be bullied in the transfer market we're going to lay your market down right now. Our best player isn't getting taken out by nobody when it doesn't suit our requirements or our demands. These are the questions I want you to answer in the comments, guys. Thank you and see you soon.

14:17You know that feeling. Too many updates, too many meetings, too many things falling through the cracks. Monday.com was built for that gap. The AI work platform designed from the ground up for people and agents to work side by side and deliver more together. Drafting the brief, flagging risks, running a competitive scan, your agent can do it all. And the best part, anyone can build one. Even you. Try it. Create your first Monday agent today at monday.com.