Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley has publicly broken her silence on Alexander Isak's contentious summer departure, expressing unwavering support for the Swedish striker and backing him to excel at his new club, Liverpool.
Staveley's Support Amidst Transfer Turmoil
Speaking at the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn II fight in North London, Staveley, alongside her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, addressed the £125 million deadline-day transfer that saw Isak leave Tyneside for Anfield. Despite the acrimonious circumstances surrounding his exit, Staveley revealed she harbours no ill will.
"I'm so proud of Newcastle and how they're doing," Staveley told Sky Sports. "And you know, we love Alex and we know he's going to do really well at Liverpool. He's a great player - Liverpool have got an extraordinary player, but equally so, it's great to see the [Newcastle] forwards doing so well and Newcastle performing really well."
The Saga of Isak's Anfield Move
Isak's move to Merseyside was far from straightforward. After expressing a desire to join the reigning Premier League champions following the 2024/25 campaign, the striker was notably absent from a large portion of Eddie Howe's pre-season preparations.
He trained with his former club, Real Sociedad, and upon his return to Newcastle, was sidelined and did not feature in any pre-season matches or train with his teammates for much of the summer. This standoff ultimately culminated in his big-money switch to Liverpool on deadline day.
This departure marked the end of a prolific stint at St James' Park, where Isak became a firm fan favourite, scoring 62 goals and providing 11 assists in 109 appearances. His form last season was particularly impressive, with 23 goals in the Premier League.
Newcastle's New Era and Isak's Liverpool Struggles
Since his high-profile move, Isak has found goals hard to come by. He has scored just once for Liverpool—a goal against Southampton in the Carabao Cup in September—and is yet to open his Premier League account for the Reds.
Newcastle, meanwhile, have moved on effectively. The club brought in Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart, and the 23-year-old has made a strong start, netting four goals in eight Premier League outings. Another signing, Yoane Wissa from Brentford, has yet to feature due to a knee injury.
When questioned on broader club matters, Staveley and Ghodoussi also defended the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Staveley stated the rules are "quite helpful" and "there to help give fair competition," while Ghodoussi added that Newcastle is "doing fantastically well," particularly in the Champions League, despite a recent "hiccup" in the Premier League.
