Alexander Isak ‘could tear up Newcastle contract’ and join Liverpool as deadline passes

Newcastle are still playing hardball over Alexander Isak as the player remains on strike over his failure to seal a move to Liverpool – and there is less than a week left for him to secure an exit before deadline day

Alexander Isak could theoretically scrap his Newcastle contract and sign for Liverpool on a free transfer due to a loophole in FIFA’s regulations, according to reports.

The Swedish striker is wanted by Liverpool this summer but the Reds have had a £110million transfer bid rejected and the player himself has gone on strike in protest over his failure to seal an exit.

Isak accused Newcastle of “broken promises” over a move, but the club fired back by insisting they never guaranteed he would be sold in this transfer window.

Both clubs played each other at St James’ Park on Monday night as Liverpool sealed a dramatic 3-2 win in the last minute through teenager Rio Ngumoha, with Isak continuing to be missing from the squad.

Boss Eddie Howe and captain Bruno Guimaraes have both called for an end to the transfer saga either way so the team can focus on the season ahead and all eyes will be on Isak in the next week as we approach deadline day. It emerged on Tuesday that Isak held crisis talks with the club’s owners and he maintains his stance that he wants to join Liverpool this summer.

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There have been questions over whether Isak could take the ‘nuclear option’ and rip up his Newcastle contract in order to push through with a move to Liverpool for free, though FIFA rules mean players would face severe sanctions for taking such an unthinkable step.

The regulations state that a player could receive a ban from all football activity if they tear up their contract “without just cause” within a protected period of three years for players under the age of 28.

Seeing as Isak is 25, his protected period ended on August 26, 2025 – three years after joining for £63m on a six-year deal.

In theory, that means Isak could terminate the contract without any punishment from FIFA, according to Four Four Two. But the report adds it would be far from simple for Isak to take those measures because the principles of English contract law would still apply.

While Isak wouldn’t be forced to play for Newcastle, a legal injunction could be obtained that prevents him from playing anywhere else. Newcastle would also be within their rights to seek damages from the player due to a breach of contract.

Back in 2014, former Arsenal and Chelsea star Lassana Diarra terminated his contract with Lokomotiv Moscow and was suspended from football for 15 months. The player was also ordered to pay £8.5m in compensation to the Russian club by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Isak’s future could also depend on whether Newcastle get a new forward through the door. They have had two bids rejected for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and also saw a £50m bid rejected for Wolves star Jorgen Strand Larsen.

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