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Alexander Isak must deliver after Liverpool transfer saga but deal doesn't hide ugly truth - Daily Star

By Chris McKenna

Alexander Isak must deliver after Liverpool transfer saga but deal doesn't hide ugly truth - Daily Star

Alexander Isak is about to come under new levels of scrutiny. Not just because he's the British transfer record signing or Liverpool's new No 9.

But because of his behaviour this summer to force the move to Anfield, there will be plenty wanting and wishing him to fail. That's not just angry Newcastle fans, either.

There will be a lot of bad will against the Sweden striker for how he went about getting his transfer. That means every miss, mistake and mishap will be investigated, highlighted and turned into a social media clip. When you're a £125m player, that comes with the territory. Isak will have known that but he obviously backs himself. Now let's see if he can deliver.

Both him and Yoanne Wissa have acted poorly this summer to get their way. There is no question about that. But let's not feel too sorry for football clubs, eh? Let's not hold them all up to be high and mighty.

Newcastle would be the perfect example. Rightly angry that Isak wanted out yet happy to take Wissa, who was not playing for Brentford. What about how Manchester United treated Rasmus Hojlund as well?

Now the Danish striker has not lived up to expectations at Old Trafford and his form last season put him at risk of being replaced this summer. But it wasn't his fault that the club overpaid for him and ignored advice from their previous manager that Hojlund should be brought in as back up with a more senior striker ahead of him.

Hojlund didn't want to leave United. It was his dream to play for the club. Yet once the club forked out another huge sum for a shiny, new striker in the form of Benjamin Sesko then he had to be sold - or in this case loaned with an obligation to buy - for accounting reasons. The beautiful game, eh?

United will get a good chunk of their outlay on Hojlund back as he has come nowhere close to hitting the targets to trigger the add-ons in what they agreed with Atalanta. But, in the end, that's all he was to the club. An asset they could move on before he devalued further on the bench because, rightly or wrongly, they don't think he will be good enough.

Napoli believe otherwise and Hojlund could yet have the last laugh, but it just shows the clubs don't always give players everything they want. This is a billion pound business. And when you are dealing within that then there will be ugly behaviour like any other industry with silly money swirling around.

Players, agents and clubs. There are no angels when it comes to the transfer window.

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Manchester United have gambled on the future of their manager Ruben Amorim by signing Senne Lammens over Emi Martinez.

The Belgium keeper brought in on deadline day is 23 but with limited senior experience. His stats show someone who COULD be a world-class keeper in the future.

But Amorim has no time for could. He needs now and guaranteed. As discussed, the United boss won't be afforded the luxury there is at other clubs to rebuild away from the spotlight.

Aston Villa keeper Martinez is a proven Premier League No.1 with character and resilience to deal with being between the sticks at Old Trafford. Lammens is coming in to compete with Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana rather than ripping the shirt off them.

Amorim can't afford him to be learning on the job. If his keepers continue to make mistakes then he will pay for it with his own job.

ONSIDE

Mo Salah calling out fan accounts trying to belittle former Liverpool players. Class.

OFFSIDE

Howard Webb apologies for Fulham's goal against Chelsea being chalked off? Too late. Just be better.

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