Alexander Isak finally got his move to Liverpool on transfer deadline day unlike Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi, whose club blocked his late £35million move to Anfield
Michael Owen is convinced that Alexander Isak and Marc Guehi’s contrasting fortunes on deadline day prove that nice guys finish last in the transfer window. Isak, 25, joined Liverpool for a British-record £125million, having been at the centre of an ugly standoff with Newcastle which ran for 55 days.
The striker refused to train and play for Newcastle, where he was under contract until 2028, and penned an explosive statement demanding a move. One of the players who Newcastle ultimately signed to replace him, Yoane Wissa, did the same at Brentford.
But Guehi, who remained professional at Crystal Palace and played nearly every minute of their opening six games as captain, didn’t get his move. Liverpool had agreed a £35m fee with Palace but the Eagles‘ failure to find a replacement before Monday’s 7pm deadline saw the deal collapse, meaning that the defender missed out on what Owen described as the ‚opportunity of a lifetime‘.
„Hmmm. Behave badly and get the move you want. Behave like a gentleman and miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime,“ the former Liverpool striker posted on X. „No prizes for guessing how players will act in the future if this is the result. #DeadlineDay.“
Earlier this month, Owen claimed that the ex-players who publicly criticised Isak for his behaviour would’ve ‚all done the same‘, insisting that the Swede wasn’t a bad person. „I will not condone a player refusing to [play],“ the ex-England forward began on Premier League Productions.
READ MORE: Liverpool could face ANOTHER Marc Guehi setback after deadline day dramaREAD MORE: Alexander Isak sent clear message by Newcastle fans as banner hung outside St James‘ Park
„But what I don’t agree with is all these ex-players coming out, sticking up for the club, sticking up for this, that and the other, and all having a go at Isak, they all would’ve done exactly the same, all of them.
„He’s not a bad person, he’s not a bad lad. He didn’t come into this situation saying, ‚Right, I’m never going to train again‘. He would’ve said to Eddie Howe at the end of last season, ‚If the opportunity arises, I’d like to go to a team like Liverpool‘.
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„This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m pretty sure he would’ve gone about it the right way to start with. But the more and more you’re prevented from doing something that you think would be so good for you and your career, the more and more desperation hits.“
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