Daily Express

Arsenal have beaten north London rivals Tottenham to the signing of Eberechi Eze, with the forward expected to join the Gunners in the coming days. But the transfer could have dire consequences for Kai Havertz, with Arsenal only deciding to swoop for Eze after the German sustained a knee injury.

Arsenal were linked with their former academy player Eze earlier this summer after the 27-year-old lit up the Premier League last season. However, the Gunners initially stepped aside, with Tottenham making a move as they edged towards a deal. But just as it looked like Eze was heading to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Arsenal dived in with a bid of around £67.5million. And it appears the prospect of joining his boyhood club is too tempting for Eze to turn down.

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Havertz came off the bench for half an hour as Arsenal defeated Manchester United in their Premier League opener on Sunday.

But he was absent as the Gunners held an open training session at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, with news of Arsenal’s pursuit of Eze hitting the headlines hours later.

Eze can play on either flank but thrives as a No. 10 and may be a direct threat to Havertz’s game time when the Germany international returns from his latest injury setback. And the former QPR player appears to offer a bigger threat than Havertz in the final third of the pitch.

According to Opta, Eze had 61 shots in the Premier League last season, with Havertz only managing 44. Of those attempts, 29 were on target compared to Havertz’s 21.

Eze is a much more creative player than Havertz as well as he created 50 chances for his Palace team-mates last term, with Havertz only creating 14 goalscoring opportunities.

While Havertz managed one more goal in the Premier League than Eze - nine compared to eight – the Palace player contributed five more assists and also made 141 more accurate passes in the opposition half. And those numbers may be enough to convince Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta that Eze should start ahead of Havertz in the future.

Eze was a surprise inclusion on the Palace team sheet for their Premier League opener against Chelsea on Sunday, despite the fact he appeared to be edging towards a move to Tottenham.

And he found the back of the net with a free-kick in the first half, but the strike was chalked off due to a foul by Marc Guehi.

Eze was then left out of the matchday squad for the Eagles’ UEFA Conference League play-off clash with Fredrikstad on Thursday evening ahead of his move to the Emirates.

Tottenham's transfer plans have been thrown into disarray after missing out on another major target this summer. The north Londoners may now set their sights on Monaco's midfield maestro Maghnes Akliouche following Eberechi Eze's decision to join arch-rivals Arsenal.

The situation at Spurs is further complicated by concerns that Dejan Kulusevski could be sidelined until the end of the year due to a knee injury. With no confirmed return date, the need for immediate reinforcements has become even more pressing after this latest hammer blow. It comes in addition to James Maddison's long-term knee ligament injury, which initially prompted Tottenham's interest in signing Eze.

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However, they are set to miss out on the Crystal Palace man, adding to the disappointment of Morgan Gibbs-White choosing to remain at Nottingham Forest and Bryan Mbeumo opting for Manchester United over Spurs.

Despite last season's triumph in the Europa League and securing a Champions League spot, Spurs have struggled to build momentum.

Now, they find themselves scrambling for signings with £40million-rated Akliouche among their targets. Bayer Leverkusen are also keen on the player, while Monaco are eager to retain him for at least another season.

Spurs have shown interest in Como playmaker Nico Paz, who could be an alternative if they fail to lure Akliouche.

They are also eyeing England starlet Morgan Rogers, although there are doubts over whether a deal can be struck given the expected resistance from Aston Villa.

Manchester City are reluctant to part ways with Brazilian winger Savinho, while Tottenham have also shown interest in Southampton winger Tyler Dibling.

RB Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons is reportedly keen on a move to Chelsea, leaving Spurs in a difficult position with just ten days left of the transfer window.

There is a sense within Tottenham that Arsenal were always lurking and despite agreeing personal terms with Crystal Palace, they had to wait until after their Conference League match on Thursday night.

This delay provided Arsenal with an opportunity to swoop for a player who Mikel Arteta has been pursuing all summer. The interest was established even before Kai Havertz's injury, which only increased the urgency.

Arsenal are hopeful that Havertz's injury isn't too severe, but he faces the prospect of being sidelined for some time. The imminent arrival of Eze will soften this blow and has been warmly received by the fans.

Tottenham, meanwhile, are left to pick up the pieces and search elsewhere. They believe they did everything possible to secure a deal, but fear that even if they had met the release clause earlier, Arsenal may have still outbid them.

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Eberechi Eze's £60million move from Crystal Palace to Arsenal is set to be confirmed as early as this weekend, according to PA news agency. The final details of the deal for the 27-year-old are nearly complete, pushing Arsenal's summer spending over the £250m mark.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner revealed that Eze, absent from his squad for their Conference League play-off at Selhurst Park, informed him on Thursday morning that he was unable to play. "Honestly I expected that he will start today for us, but he called me this morning and said he doesn't feel well to play in the evening, and of course I have to accept it, and everything else you have to ask the chairman," Glasner told Channel 5 ahead of their match with Fredrikstad – the Eagles' first ever European tie.

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"I have to accept it. If a player tells me he is not ready to play, then of course we had to (accept it). I called the player who starts instead, Justin Devenny, and that he is ready, because it's my responsibility to prepare the players to play for us in the best way.

"And so it was quite busy. You don't like to change your starting 11 on matchday, especially in this situation. It's the first time in European football for Crystal Palace, but again, we have to deal with it, and so this is what we do in the best way."

Eze is poised to become Arsenal's seventh signing of the summer after they moved to outbid Tottenham for the England international. The stunning transfer of Eze to the Emirates has been fast-tracked this week following a knee injury sustained by Kai Havertz.

The German international made an appearance as a second-half substitute in Arsenal's 1-0 victory at Manchester United, and completed the match, but he did not take part in the club's open training session at the Emirates on Wednesday.

It remains uncertain how long Havertz, who is still under assessment, will be out of action. However, the swift move for Eze indicates that Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta at the helm and backed by sporting director Andrea Berta, are not willing to take any risks as they aim to secure their first Premier League title in 22 years.

Eze is now set to join striker Viktor Gyokeres (£55m), defender Cristhian Mosquera (£13m), midfielder Martin Zubimendi (£60m), goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga (£5m), midfielder Christian Norgaard (£10m) and forward Noni Madueke (£48.5m) in making the switch to the Emirates.

Arteta is scheduled to face the press at the club's training ground on Friday to preview his team's second match of the season, at home against Leeds on Saturday evening.

Arsenal's late transfer swoop for Eberechi Eze to hijack his Tottenham move is not the first time the Gunners have embarrassed their fierce rivals. Mikel Arteta's side are set to sign the 27-year-old from Crystal Palace after agreeing terms with both the club and player on Wednesday evening.

The breakthrough came as a surprise, given that Spurs had been on the verge of securing Eze's signature. But those close to the England midfielder knew that his heart was set on Arsenal. Eze supported Arsenal as a child and was let go from their academy at the age of 13, which he admitted left him ‘bawling’ for days on end. Arsenal are set to finalise his £68million transfer in the coming days, having initially held reservations over the deal due to the emergence of academy starlet Ethan Nwaneri. But Kai Havertz’s recent injury eventually swayed them into pursuing what could be their seventh signing of the summer.

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Eze's dramatic change of heart, swapping N17 for N5, is not without precedent. Many will remember Sol Campbell's sensational move as a free agent in 2001. But another Gunners legend, Emmanuel Petit, rejected Spurs for Arsenal in a manner more reminiscent of Eze's transfer saga.

Spurs infamously paid the Frenchman’s taxi fare on his way to sign for Arsenal. Reflecting on his last-minute decision, Petit told the Mirror in 2018: "Tottenham put the contract on the table for me, I needed a couple of days to think about it but they didn't expect what happened after that."

The midfielder travelled to London in 1997 to discuss a potential transfer from Monaco with Spurs chairman Sir Alan Sugar. Arsenal caught wind of the meeting and reached out to the midfielder, urging him not to sign anything until he had listened to Arsene Wenger's vision for the new project he was building.

Petit, who had previously played under Wenger at Monaco, requested more time from Sugar to consider the offer back at his hotel, with Spurs covering the taxi fare to take him there. However, the Frenchman redirected the cab to Wenger's house, where he also met vice-chairman David Dein.

Hoping to challenge for trophies rather than battle against relegation, the future World Cup champion agreed terms and completed a £2.5m transfer to the Gunners. Petit later recalled on talkSPORT: "I had meetings on the same day with Tottenham and Arsenal and had a meeting with Tottenham in the morning, but when I came to England I didn't know about the rivalry between the two clubs.

"When I left the Spurs stadium, they booked me a cab and the cab driver asked me for directions, so I gave him the Arsenal address and I didn't realise that the cab was pre-paid by Spurs, so they knew where I was going!

"I'd told Spurs that I needed time to think about it but knew that I had to see Arsenal, as well as other clubs in Italy and Spain. I told everyone that I'd make my mind up and when I knew the answer I would give it, but after a couple of days I signed for Arsenal and it went into newspapers and all of a sudden the story came. I realised the pressure of the rivalry then."

Petit added in 2018: "It's part of the legend now. David Dein still loves that story – and [more than] 20 years later he's still telling it!" He would not regret his choice, forming a strong midfield partnership with compatriot Patrick Vieira, which saw the ponytailed midfielder clinch a league and cup double in his debut campaign.

Following the success of the 1997/98 season, Petit spent two more seasons in north London before moving to Barcelona and then Chelsea. Eze will be hoping his bold decision will reap similar benefits as he looks to bring a creative spark to Arteta's team, with the Gunners aiming to break their Premier League curse after ending three consecutive campaigns as runners-up.

Tottenham look to have lost the race for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze after rivals Arsenal mounted a late and successful transfer coup. But one of Spurs' next targets, Como's Nico Paz, was once dubbed 'the future of Real Madrid.'

Despite Spurs chief Daniel Levy hammering out a £60million package for Eze, their bitter north London rivals arrived on Wednesday evening with a £68m proposal. Thanks to executive vice-chairman Tim Lewis' relationship with Palace's Steve Parish, the Gunners thwarted their rivals, and Eze has chosen a move to the Emirates. Eze wishes to play one last time for Palace in their Conference League play-off on Thursday evening, but may be left out due to the risk of injury. Tottenham must now turn their attentions elsewhere, and ex-Los Blancos ace Paz is reportedly on their radar.

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After all but losing out on long-term target Eze, Thomas Frank's Spurs have moved on to other attacking midfield targets. They wish to strengthen this area because of injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, and the departure of Son Heung-min.

The Daily Mail reports that alongside Monaco dynamo Maghnes Akliouche, Como star Paz is on the club's shortlist. Paz was born in Tenerife and began his career within local academies before moving to Real Madrid's renowned La Fabrica in 2016.

He began life as a defensive player but slowly advanced up the field to take up a more attacking role. After making his B-team debut in 2022, Paz was handed his first professional bow for Los Blancos in the Champions League against Braga one year later. His first league appearance came soon after.

Yet, with fierce competition for attacking places, he sought a move in August 2024 and moved to newly promoted Serie A side Como for a reported £5.1million. He debuted for the club a day later and hit the ground running.

Real have a roughly £10.5m buy-back option for the youngster, and still own some of his economic rights. The club's former manager, Carlo Ancelotti, hinted that this clause may be activated in the future, which could make a deal difficult for Spurs.

Speaking to Rai Radio 1 last December, Ancelotti was asked about Paz and couldn't hold back his admiration, stating: "Paz is a player we follow a lot. He is really good. He's a great talent. This year of training away from Real is doing him a lot of good. We believe he is a player who can be the future of Real Madrid."

Paz was named Serie A Young Player of the Year in Italy last term. The 20-year-old made his Argentina debut against Bolivia in October 2024 and, after assisting the great Lionel Messi, had his praises sung once again.

"Nico Paz has an incredible mindset, and that's why he's where he is," Messi said after the 6-0 victory. "Nico has a lot of quality and understands the game perfectly. He has an incredible mindset, and he's with Cesc Fabregas [current manager of Como] as coach who is my friend and will help him grow a lot."

Former France international William Gallas has fired a warning to Eberechi Eze ahead of his move to Arsenal. The playmaker is set to join the Gunners from Crystal Palace in a deal worth £67.5million, including add-ons.

Tottenham were previously in pole position to secure the signature of the England international, but an injury to Kai Havertz prompted Arsenal to dip back into the market for a forward and hijack their rivals’ deal.

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Eze is capable of playing on either flank but predominantly thrives in the No. 10 role, but Gallas feels the 27-year-old may need to bide his time at the Emirates Stadium as he won’t be offered regular opportunities from the get-go.

He told Jackpot City Casino: “With Eberechi Eze, I think he had a great season with Crystal Palace, but I don’t think he’d be in a starting role with Arsenal. He could be in the future, but I’m not sure if he would be straight away. It depends on what Arsenal want to do, if they want to win the league, they need starters.

“Playing for Arsenal, even off the bench, is a chance to end the season as a Premier League winner, but it might mean you get less minutes. You can be a champion without starting many games or start every week for another club but not have a chance to win a trophy.”

The Gunners are also said to remain in the market for another winger, with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo admired – which Gallas fears could be further bad news for Eze. However, the ex-Arsenal defender is sceptical about whether the winger would decide to join his former club.

Instead, believes that Rodrygo will go to a club where he receives assurances that he is one of the first names on the team sheet, rather than at Arsenal where there is competition for places.

He concluded: “The talk on Rodrygo has gone quiet, but we all know that he would be in the starting eleven if he did join Arsenal, which means that there would be a player on the bench who was used to playing last season. If he ends up in the Premier League at some point, he would go to a club that gives him a chance to be a champion.”

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly looking to lick their Eberechi Eze wounds by launching a fresh assault on Manchester City’s Savinho. It emerged last week that Spurs were targeting the winger, who only joined City 12 months earlier.

Savinho, who joined from City’s sister club for £30.9million, netted once in the Premier League last season, but is being billed as a big-money signing for Spurs this summer. It’s claimed Tottenham have already seen an offer in the region of £50m waved off by their Premier League rivals, who are keen to hold out for more.

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It’s now suggested that the fee could end up breaking Tottenham’s club record for a new signing, with City believed to want closer to £70m instead. And according to reports in Brazil, Tottenham look set to splash the cash, with talk a £70m bid could be about to land in City’s inbox.

GloboEsporte report Savinho’s agent is currently in the United Kingdom, with Spurs keen to up the ante after missing out on Eze. The playmaker looked destined for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, only to end up choosing bitter rivals Arsenal instead.

Eze, who grew up supporting the Gunners, is expected to finalise his move to Arsenal in the coming days, leaving Spurs somewhat in the lurch. Meanwhile, Savinho’s current employers face off against his prospective ones this weekend, with City hosting Spurs at the Etihad Stadium.

Pep Guardiola hinted that he wished to keep hold of Savinho last week, saying: "If Tottenham, or any other club, wants a player, you should call the club, right? It's the same like we do. The only thing I'm concerned about today is that Savinho will be with us all the season, and hopefully for many, many years.

“Because at 21 years old with the potential he has, playing a lot of minutes, he has to improve in final decisions, he's an extraordinary player. But at the end, as always, the desire of the player prevails above everything, and after that there has to be an agreement with the club. If you don't make an agreement, the player will be here."

Savinho wasn’t part of City’s squad for their opening-day win over Wolves, with Guardiola citing an “injury” for his absence. The winger featured 45 times across all competitions last season, netting two goals and registering 12 assists.

Arsenal have once again outmanoeuvred Tottenham in the transfer market, this time with a move for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. Spurs were on the brink of securing a deal for the England international, which would have been a significant coup for Thomas Frank's side.

Yet Arsenal were unwilling to allow Eze to head to their north London rivals without intervening, and now the 27-year-old looks set to seal a switch to the Emirates Stadium instead. Spurs are left scratching their heads, while Arsenal appear to have landed a long-term target. Still, the Gunners' hijack wasn't as rapid as it appeared. Sporting director Andrea Berta had already finalised the framework of a deal back on August 10, according to The Independent. The agreement, however, was kept quiet, to the point that word was put out that Arsenal needed to sell players first, and that they were prioritising a left winger over Eze - a smokescreen, of sorts, that gave Tottenham the impression they could take their time.

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Arsenal's pursuit of the Palace star was essentially put on ice. That hesitation gave Tottenham their opening. They were quickly installed as favourites and eventually struck an agreement with Palace and the player on Wednesday after a string of tense talks.

Eze himself was keen, though the intention has always been for him to first play in Palace's Europa Conference League clash with Fredrikstad on Thursday. However, Kai Havertz's injury changed Arsenal's approach and forced them into immediate action, allowing them to overtake Spurs' bid.

Levy had pieced together an offer of £50million plus £10m in bonuses, but Arsenal countered with £60m plus £7.5m. Stronger ties between Steve Parish and Arsenal vice-chairman Tim Lewis also pushed the Gunners ahead in negotiations.

The two executives are in much closer contact than Parish is with Levy, and the possibility of further business - Palace are monitoring Jakub Kiwior - boosted Arsenal's chances.

Eze himself, however, had supposedly been excited by the prospect of playing for Spurs, despite being a boyhood Arsenal fan. Released by the Gunners as a teenager, he had previously spoken of his dream to wear their shirt one day.

With Arsenal slow to commit, he assumed that wish would fade. He even held talks with Parish to find a resolution but got nowhere. Only on Wednesday did Arsenal finally leapfrog Spurs.

Although Tottenham haven't formally pulled out, all signs now suggest that Eze is bound for the Emirates - a development that heaps yet more pressure on Levy. He has already seen Morgan Gibbs-White slip through his fingers after the midfielder came close to leaving Nottingham Forest, only to sign a new deal in a late twist.

Meanwhile, Tottenham's pursuit of Manchester City winger Savinho has stalled completely. Compounding matters, James Maddison's ACL injury has left Spurs short in attacking areas, and the club's sluggish response to filling that void - especially when contrasted with Arsenal's swift move for reinforcements after Havertz's setback - has intensified the scrutiny.

Missing out on Eze, though, would sting regardless of the context. Arsenal look poised to secure a gifted, ambitious player who has forced through his dream move, while Tottenham are once again left scrambling in his wake.

Brentford striker Yoana Wissa reportedly wants to move to Newcastle to continue the club's rich history with French-African players. Wissa, 28, was left out of the squad for Sunday’s 3-1 loss at Nottingham Forest, and he continues to push for a move.

He’s since removed all association with his current club from his Instagram account. The DR Congo international, who was born in Northern France, has until September 1 to finalise a move when the summer transfer window expires. However, it appears he only has his heart set on one destination and isn’t entertaining interest from elsewhere.

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According to Sky Sports News, the striker is keen to follow in the footsteps of three other French-born players who starred at St James’ Park. He’s said to have named Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse, and Hatem Ben Arfa as the trio behind his transfer desire.

He also has his heart set on the club’s famous No.9 shirt, which Cisse previously wore. However, Wissa is being made to wait for his move, with Brentford reportedly turning down a £40million bid from Newcastle on Wednesday.

It’s the second offer to have been rejected, with Tottenham now also interested. The club was scuppered by Arsenal in their bid to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, so they do appear to have the funds available for Thomas Frank to try and reunite with the player.

Ba signed from West Ham in 2011 and scored 29 times in 58 games, famously starring in a 3-0 win over Manchester United. The Senegalese striker also formed a potent partnership with international team-mate Cisse, whose strike from the touchline against Chelsea has gone down in Premier League folklore.

Midfielder Ben Arfa spent five years in the North East after moving from Marseille, making 86 club appearances. He won 15 caps for France, although his father had previously represented Tunisia.

However, Wissa’s ambitions to emulate all three stars now hinge on the North East side upping their offer. Otherwise, the player, who scored 19 Premier League goals last season, faces the prospect of being in limbo until January.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.

Arsenal are reportedly closing in on the signing of Eberechi Eze.

The Gunners have been linked to Eze's signature throughout the summer, with several outlets reporting they're close to agreeing a deal.

Eze is said to be open to the move, with Mikel Arteta having been keen to add attacking depth to his squad.

Alan Shearer believes Newcastle need to sell Alexander Isak to put an end to the 'messy' saga.

He told Betfair: “My view is the same as it was three or four weeks ago. If Newcastle can get players in to replace him, and if Newcastle receive a bid they want to accept, then Isak's move to Liverpool may happen. If that doesn't happen, then he stays, and it becomes really messy.

“If Liverpool want him, then they put in an offer Newcastle will accept, and if Newcastle can get two players in, because that's what they need, one to replace Isak and one to replace Wilson, then fine. They've been trying to do that for the past four or five weeks and haven't been able to do it. Whether they can do that in the next 10 days is doubtful, but there's still time.”

Alan Shearer has lashed out at Alexander Isak's agent over the Newcastle United striker's antics this summer.

The Swede's bombshell statement last night has not gone down well with Shearer, who told Betfair: "I mean, oh my God, what a f***ing mess his agent has made of this, honestly.

"If I were him, I’d get his agent in a room and sack him on the spot immediately, because he is meant to be giving him the advice to sign that six‑year deal, and there’s no get‑out clause.

"I mean, it’s ridiculous. And to take anyone’s word in football… It’s nonsensical to say that someone said, 'Oh, I’ll be able to get out at the end of the season.' Really? I mean, come on."

Nottingham Forest have struck an agreement with Juventus over the loan signing of Douglas Luiz.

According to David Ornstein, Forest are set to sign the Brazilian midfielder on loan with an obligation to buy if he surpasses a certain number of appearances this season.

The Midlands club also have an option to buy Luiz for £26m if he doesn't trigger the obligation.

The 27-year-old is returning to the Premier League just one year after leaving Aston Villa for Juventus.

Tim Sherwood has urged Chelsea to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi to replace Levi Colwill after his long-term injury.

“Marc Guehi is the obvious choice for Chelsea to replace Levi Colwill at centre-back," Sherwood told BetBrain.

"He’s a player who will hit the ground running at Chelsea, having already played in the Premier League for a few years and to a very high standard. They can risk waiting until next season when his contract at Crystal Palace expires, but there’ll be a queue to sign him, without doubt.

“It looks like both Liverpool and Chelsea have turned Guehi’s head away from Palace. Ibrahima Konate is out of contract next season for Liverpool, and while Guehi might not start ahead of him or Virgil van Dijk, he’d be a solid replacement if either left the club. Even if Konate stayed, the best teams in the league have high-quality cover in every position, and Guehi would fit that bill.

“My feeling is Steve Parish will want to try and keep hold of Guehi for as long as possible, but Palace know they can’t allow him to leave for free – it’d be a huge loss.”

Shortly after Alexander Isak's bombshell statement, Newcastle United responded with one of their own...

It read: "We are disappointed to have been alerted to a social media post by Alexander Isak this evening.

"We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer.

"We want to keep our best players, but we also understand players have their own wishes, and we listen to their views. As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions, and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired.

'We do not foresee those conditions being met. This is a proud football club with proud traditions, and we strive to retain our family feel. Alex remains part of our family and will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his teammates."

Alexander Isak has accused Newcastle United of breaking promises in a bombshell statement as he continues his attempts to force a move to Liverpool.

“When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue," Isak wrote on Instagram after missing the PFA Awards.

“I'm proud to be recognised by my fellow professionals with a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Season for 2024/25. First and foremost, I want to thank my teammates and everyone at Newcastle United who have supported me along the way.

"I'm not at the ceremony tonight. With everything going on, it didn't feel right to be there. I've kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken. That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn't reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors.

"The reality is that promises were made, and the club has known my position for a long time. To act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading. When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. That's where things are for me right now – and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself."