Both players have made their intentions unmistakably clear. At Newcastle, Isak has gone public with accusations of “broken promises,” is training away from the first team, and was left out of the season opener. Liverpool responded with an eye-watering £110 million bid, which Newcastle firmly rejected. The Tyneside club insists that no sale will happen unless the numbers climb significantly higher, closer to £150 million.
In West London, Brentford face their own dilemma. Wissa, fresh off a strong season alongside Bryan Mbeumo, has been omitted from Brentford’s first match of the season and already wiped the club’s badge from his social media profiles.
Newcastle are keen to bring him in as a replacement for Isak, but Brentford are playing hardball, seeking a fee higher than the widely reported £30 to £40 million valuation. That is risky, considering Wissa has only a year left on his contract.
From my perspective, both Newcastle and Brentford would be wiser to let these players go.
For Newcastle, the argument is as much about culture as it is about cash. Eddie Howe has built a squad defined by togetherness and collective effort. Nothing corrodes unity faster than a star striker who no longer wants to be there. Isak is already training apart, airing grievances, and making it clear his future lies elsewhere. That kind of tension seeps into the dressing room and eventually onto the pitch.
Financially, £110 million is a transformative figure for a club still balancing the demands of Financial Fair Play. Even if Newcastle hope to edge that number toward £150 million, they are taking on risks.
A dip in Isak’s form, an injury, or even the looming possibility of FIFA’s Article 17, which could give the player a legal route to force a move after a protected period, all hang over the situation. The prudent approach is to sell while the value is at its highest and reinvest the funds into two or three players who fit Howe’s long-term project.
Brentford, on the other hand, risk betraying their own philosophy if they resist Wissa’s departure for too long. This is a club that has thrived on clarity of purpose: buy well, develop talent, and sell at the right time. Wissa has a year left on his deal, his value is currently high, and he wants out. Holding him against his will risks unsettling the culture that has allowed Brentford to remain competitive against richer clubs.
The Bees have faced this scenario before and managed it well. They sold Ollie Watkins, Saïd Benrahma and David Raya at moments that maximized value while protecting the squad’s balance.
Wissa should be treated no differently. Taking the fee, inserting add-ons and perhaps a sell-on clause, and moving forward is not only smart business but also consistent with the club’s long-term identity.
Both Newcastle and Brentford might argue that selling to direct rivals sends the wrong message, but in modern football that line of thinking is outdated. Southampton sold Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool, Brighton allowed Moisés Caicedo to join Chelsea, and Leicester parted with James Maddison to Spurs.
The Premier League is a marketplace where everyone buys from everyone. The mistake is not selling to a rival; the mistake is holding on too long, losing leverage, and keeping unhappy players who drag down morale.
It is also worth noting that Brentford are in a period of transition. Thomas Frank, who had been at the heart of their rise, left to become Tottenham Hotspur’s head coach earlier this summer. His replacement is Keith Andrews, previously the club’s set-piece coach, who has stepped into the top job on a three-year deal. In such a moment of change, clarity is more important than ever, and Andrews deserves to work with a fully committed squad.
The conclusion is straightforward. Newcastle should capitalize on Isak’s peak value, draw a line under the uncertainty, and use the proceeds to strengthen the team in multiple areas. Brentford should honor their own model, move Wissa on for a fair fee with smart conditions attached, and trust their recruitment system to provide the next success story.
In football, the only thing worse than losing a great player is keeping one who no longer wants to wear the shirt.
