Alexander Isak slammed for treatment of Newcastle team-mates during Liverpool saga

Former Chelsea star Shaun Wright-Phillips has slammed Alexander Isakfor the disrespect shown to his Newcastle team-mates while his transfer saga drags on.

Sweden star Isak has let his desire to leave St James Park become public knowledge amid keen interest from Liverpool, though the Toon’s asking price remains some way higher than what the Premier League champions appear willing to pay having last week had a first bid rejected.

And Wright-Phillips, a 36-time England international, reckons Isak has gone about forcing a move in such a way that it could easily be viewed as an insult to his current colleagues.

"I think he's handled it very badly because everyone knows you want out but you should go and train,” Wright-Phillips told AceOdds.com. “You’re not affecting the club, you're affecting the players you've been to war with for the last three seasons. Have a little bit of respect for your team-mates, turn up to train and then go home.”

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Isak has not featured in pre-season for Newcastle with the club citing a thigh injury, though he has also taken himself to the training ground of former club Real Sociedad for a mini training camp.

And Wright-Phillips added that such a decision indicates Isak is being badly advised. "You want to play football at the end of the day and the fans have been unbelievable for him. I feel like he should have just showed up,” he added.

“Everyone's been in a position in football where they don't want to be somewhere but there's only some who don't show up for training. He's obviously been advised to do that because the person I've seen talk and be around in Newcastle doesn't seem like that's in his character.

"And we're seeing little bits of Isak now, the way he's handling this by not turning up to training, cause I've seen it as it's everywhere."

However he also thinks Newcastle must accept some blame for the farrago. The North East club are in a tug of war with Manchester United for Benjamin Sesko and that shows a lack of long-term planning.

"They're putting themselves in a position where the season's coming and Isak might go or not go. If he doesn't go, they have in many ways, an unhappy striker there and I've seen some stuff that fans have written for him, and those fans are not happy with him. He doesn't want to be there.

"If Newcastle sign somebody, he has two weeks to get used to the way Newcastle play and get himself settled before the season starts. This, for me, could have been handled four weeks ago.”

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