Alexander Isak caused friction between Eddie Howe and friends before Liverpool transfer

Alexander Isak's record-breaking move from Newcastle to Liverpool caused a considerable stir, straining both professional and personal relationships. The striker's aggressive push for the move damaged long-standing ties between Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and two of Liverpool's key figures, sporting director Richard Hughes and CEO of football Michael Edwards.

The trio's bond dates back to the early 2000s at Portsmouth, where Howe and Hughes were team-mates for two years. During that time, Edwards served as head of performance analysis for the club.

Several years later, Hughes played under Howe at Bournemouth before joining the club's recruitment team and rising to the role of sporting director. A former colleague described their dynamic at the Vitality Stadium as "incredibly tight," built on mutual trust, a shared vision, and a knack for maximising limited resources.

Even after Howe left Bournemouth in 2020, he and Hughes remained close, often consulting each other on football matters. Edwards, meanwhile, maintained a professional rapport with both before later linking up with Hughes at Anfield.

Liverpool's pursuit of Isak tested Howe's relationship with both former co-workers. Newcastle had pinned their long-term ambitions on the Swedish striker, whose 27 goals in 2024/25 made him one of Europe's most coveted forwards.

Isak, however, had grown restless after Newcastle failed to deliver on a promised contract extension, which would have made him one of the division's highest earners. Liverpool, under the meticulous guidance of Hughes and Edwards, saw an opportunity to pounce.

The transfer saga began at a relatively slow pace. Liverpool - who had tracked Isak since his AIK days, and had considered signing him from Real Sociedad before opting for Darwin Nunez - knew that prying the Swede from Newcastle's grasp wouldn't be easy, particularly with three years remaining on his contract.

They'd need Newcastle to be willing to sell, and Isak to be willing to push for an exit - two conditions that, at the start of the summer, seemed far from certain. The situation took a complicated turn as the Magpies struggled to sign attacking reinforcements, losing out on the likes of Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Bryan Mbuemo and Benjamin Sesko.

They also came close to signing Hugo Ekitike, but Liverpool had other plans. As the Magpies closed in on a deal for the Frenchman, the Reds issued them a daring ultimatum: sell us Isak or we'll hijack your move for Ekitike. Newcastle stood firm, a decision that, in retrospect, has proven costly, with both Ekitike and Isak now on Merseyside.

According to The Athletic, Howe felt somewhat blindsided not only by Liverpool's approach for the 25-year-old but also by their hostile attempt to destabilise the club and scupper their recruitment plans.

Newcastle's hierarchy, backed by their Saudi-led ownership, initially resisted Liverpool's advances, rejecting an initial £110million bid and setting a sky-high valuation, £150m, to deter suitors. But Isak's behaviour changed things.

He began forcing the issue, skipping the club's pre-season of tour of Asia and even threatening to go on strike. He was left out of Newcastle's opening Premier League fixtures and with just days to go in the window, issued a scathing statement, citing broken promises and a loss of a trust, before claiming his relationship with the Magpies "could not continue".

Newcastle responded with a defiant statement of their own, insisting that Isak would not be sold unless their valuation was met. Senior club officials doubled down in the days that followed, stressing they wouldn't be "bullied" into what they viewed as a cut-price sale. Behind the scenes, however, their resolve was crumbling.

Howe grew increasingly concerned that reintegrating Isak would be challenging and could disrupt Newcastle's season. In a candid press conference, he called the standoff a "lose-lose situation" for the club.

Once Newcastle secured a £70m deal for Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade, their grip on Isak loosened. Liverpool seized the moment, reopening talks and clinching a British-record £125m transfer in the window's final hours.

The saga, from start to finish, was a bitter one, enough to completely dismantle Isak's St James' Park legacy in the eyes of the Toon Army. Yet Newcastle, from an administrative standpoint, acknowledge the pursuit was business-driven - a sentiment Howe echoed last month when he said in a press conference: "It's not personal, it's professional."

As the dust settles on this tumultuous transfer, Isak's arrival at Anfield marks not just a triumph for Liverpool's ambition but a stark reminder that in the high-stakes world of football, even the deepest bonds can bend under the weight of business.

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