Wednesday morning brought an exclusive (see below) that claimed Chelsea had made an approach to Newcastle United to try and buy Alexander Isak and that the two clubs were having conversations about the transfer.

Alexander Isak is Newcastle United's biggest asset, best goalscorer, and key to the season(s) ahead. He has over four years left on his contract so Newcastle is under no pressure at all on that front.

Most obvious of all though, is why on earth would Alexander Isak have any interest in joining Chelsea, even if he did leave Newcastle United? Not forgetting the small matter of course that Alexander Isak has repeatedly said how happy he is at St James' Park and repeated this yet again this month when on international duty with Sweden, stating he had no intention of leaving Newcastle United this summer.

Following on from that initial claimed approach from Chelsea, The Telegraph and others reported that there was no chance of the Stamford Bridge club getting a deal done, as even if Newcastle United were willing to sell, a new Premier League record (over and above the PS115m Chelsea paid for Caicedo) would be needed to be paid by Chelsea or whoever, when it came to the cost of any potential deal to buy Alexander Isak. That is before you come to the wages Alexander Isal would expect if becoming the Premier League's most expensive player.

It was then widely reported that Chelsea had withdrawn from any attempts to buy the Newcastle United striker, as even if NUFC and Isak were willing to do a deal, it would be far beyond what they could/would pay.

Friday however, brought claims from Sky Sports and others that Chelsea had renewed their interest and were back in for Alexander Isak.

By late Friday, yet another further twist, Chelsea now said to have definitely ended their interest, this communicated by The Telegraph and others.

Picking the bones out of it all, for sure this simply looks like Chelsea trying to take advantage of Newcastle United making sure they stay the right side of PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules).

Indeed, never mind offering to break the Premier League transfer record that they paid for a very mediocre midfielder in Caicedo, instead, Chelsea said not to even be willing to go to PS100m if Newcastle were prepared to sell Isak. Seen as Alexander Isak was bought for PS63m two years ago and has proved a brilliant signing and goalscorer at the highest level, making a profit of around PS30m or even less on the club's biggest asset would be crazy. Especially as Newcastle United would then have to go out and buy a high quality replacement.

It gets worse, as it is also reported that any deal could have been dependent on Newcastle United taking one or more of the Chelsea players as part payment, to make a deal happen. Imagine that, losing our best player and goalscorer, plus taking on some of the many rubbish now unwanted signings that Chelsea is desperate to get rid of!

The Telegraph also states that Chelsea wasn't even in a position to be able/willing to offer the level of wages Alexander Isak would have demanded, if willing to go to Stamford Bridge.

The whole thing just sounds like a joke, if indeed there has been any move/contact from Chelsea, it appears to be them just trying to make it look to their fans as though they are trying to sign quality players and/or expecting Newcastle United and the player to do things on the cheap.

If indeed Newcastle United were willing to sell Alexander Isak for whatever reason, I can't imagine that there wouldn't be interest from better clubs than Chelsea AND they would be willing to at least go close to the kind of transfer fee that would be needed.

The Mag report - 26 June 2024:

Wednesday morning has seen a media exclusive report that Chelsea have made a transfer approach to Newcastle United for Alexander Isak.

The report from The Mail claims that the Stamford Bridge club has told Newcastle United that they want to sign the striker.

No mention as to what Newcastle United has replied with.

Nor of course what the stance of Alexander Isak is, if there is substance to this latest transfer tale.

Nothing would surprise me in football these days and it is more than possible that Chelsea have indeed asked about Alexander Isak.

That comes with the territory when you have top-quality players at your club.

I would be gutted if Alexander Isak left for any other club BUT Chelsea??? If he would in any way be interested in joining that joke of a club, I would be astonished.

As for Eddie Howe and the Newcastle United owners, I would equally be astonished if they had any thought of willingly selling the striker. The fact that Alexander Isak still has four years left on his current deal, means United are under no pressure whatsoever on that side of things.

As The Mail point out, if hypothetically Alexander Isak was sold this summer, then it would mean a new Premier League transfer fee, over and beyond the PS115m Chelsea paid for Caicedo.

So many angles to this story and with the ridiculous state of the Chelsea finances and over a billion pounds spent in less than two years by their owners on new players, this just sums up what a joke PSR is, if indeed Chelsea could spend another PS115m on a player and yet have supposedly no worries about breaking PSR themselves.

The Mail report - 26 June 2024:

'EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea make an enquiry for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak - but would face having to break the club-record PS115m fee they paid for Moises Caicedo

Chelsea have made an enquiry for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.

Mail Sport understands conversations have taken place between the clubs and the Blues have indicated a want to sign the Sweden international.

They know that any deal would take a club-record fee beyond the PS115m they paid for Moises Caicedo.

Isak scored 25 goals last season and is one of the hottest properties in Europe. His market value is at least double the PS63m Newcastle paid Real Sociedad in the summer of 2022.'