Eddie Howe would still be at Newcastle United had Alexander Isak not left the club last year, according to former Magpies coach Dean Saunders.
The Swedish striker dug his heels in over a move to Merseyside in the summer of 2025, and the ripples of that transfer saga are still being felt on Tyneside.
Isak's exit and its impact
United refused to budge on their valuation of Isak, with Liverpool finally agreeing a £125m move late in the transfer window, leaving Newcastle with little time to find a replacement.
They invested heavily in Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, but neither deal paid off last season, with Woltemade struggling for goals and Wissa hampered by a knee injury picked up on international duty just days after moving to Tyneside.
Howe's departure
Newcastle's lack of a cutting edge was cited as one of the key reasons why they struggled to maintain their previous high standards last term, and when Bruno Guimaraes followed Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon out of the St James' Park exit door this summer, head coach Howe opted to call time on his spell in charge.
Isak failed to fire for Liverpool last term, with a broken leg curtailing his season, but has started the new campaign well, scoring in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Bournemouth before the international break.
Likewise, Wissa has refound his form under new United head coach Matthias Jaissle, although Woltemade has been loaned out to Italian giants Juventus.
Saunders' verdict
For Saunders, who was part of Graeme Souness' coaching staff at St James' Park, Isak's exit was the start of the end for Howe at Newcastle, and the former Liverpool and Wales striker has backed the Swede to challenge Erling Haaland for the Golden Boot award.
"Isak is a contender to win the Golden Boot," he told Sveacasino. "If he was still at Newcastle, then Eddie Howe would still be there. If you lose your best strikers, you normally get sacked.
"I know it's a bit blunt, but if you look back on history, strikers get you out of trouble when you're not playing well. And against Bournemouth, Isak did it again.
"As long as you're keeping the ball out of your net, which Liverpool have managed to do considering they've got a new back four, while Isak's on the pitch there's always a chance for Liverpool to win the game.
"I can't look any further than Erling Haaland as Isak's main competitor for the Golden Boot."
"When the season kicked off, a lot of Liverpool's success was relying on him. If he's injured all the time or not banging goals in, Liverpool will have a bad season. If he does, it will be the opposite.
"Isak tucked it away lovely. He's a good finisher, isn't he? It's whether he can stay fit, but there's no question about his goalscoring ability. Newcastle won't want to admit it because of the way he left, but they have missed him badly."
