Alexander Isak transfer saga has happened before with Tottenham – and it did not end well for them

NEWCASTLE are adamant Alexander Isak is going nowhere.

But Tottenham fans will allow themselves a wry smile as the Toon try to keep star man Isak out of the clutches of big-spending Liverpool.

GettyAlexander Isak’s future is one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer[/caption]

PA:Press AssociationDimitar Berbatov endured a similar fiasco around him before he joined Man Utd[/caption]

Because they think they’ve seen this film before, and they didn’t like the ending.

Back in 2008, the role of Isak was played by Dimitar Berbatov and the plot was very similar indeed.

A talismanic striker scores at Wembley to help his club win a long-awaited trophy.

But his success attracts the attention of the reigning Premier League champions, who pursue him publicly.

The in-demand star’s club leave him out of games as speculation continues yet insist he will not be leaving.

And then they sell him on deadline day after all after forcing the price up to a record fee for both clubs.

Even the transfer deadline day for the summer window was the same – September 1.

The Berbatov saga suggests Liverpool and Isak will get their way – and things could turn nasty before they do.

SUN VEGAS WELCOME OFFER: GET £50 BONUS WHEN YOU JOIN

Losing the languid Bulgarian to Manchester United 17 years ago really hurt Tottenham fans.

Berbatov equalised from the penalty spot in the League Cup final against Chelsea before Jonathan Woodgate headed an extra-time winner to seal the club’s first silverware since 1999.

Isak grabbed the second in Newcastle’s 2-0 win over Liverpool that ended a 70-year long wait for a domestic trophy.

Newcastle are yet to make their frustration with the Reds official, as Spurs did when they complained to the Premier League about United’s unrelenting, public pursuit of Berbatov.

The Bulgarian came on for 25 minutes of Tottenham’s defeat at Middlesbrough on the opening weekend of the 2008-09 season.

But he was left out of the next two games – a 2-1 home defeat by Sunderland and 1-1 draw at Chelsea.

AlamyEddie Howe does not want to lose Isak[/caption]

Although the reason for Isak missing Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia was allegedly “a minor thigh injury”, boss Eddie Howe has confirmed the striker will not be training with the rest of the squad or playing in the current circumstances.

Howe, who says Isak has not been disciplined, believes nothing will change ahead of next weekend’s opening Premier League game against Aston Villa.

But will Newcastle’s stance soften in terms of selling Isak at a price Liverpool are willing to pay, after having a £110m bid turned down flat?

The Berbatov experience again favours the Merseysiders. Tottenham supremo Daniel Levy was, and is, a notoriously tough negotiator.

Yet after all the rancour, a £30.75m deal was done and the first some Spurs fans knew about it was when their beloved striker was caught on camera in Manchester on deadline day.

Naturally, Berbatov helped United win their third Premier League title in a row and earned the Premier League Golden Boot when they did it again two seasons later.

That award was shared with Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez, whose move across town from Old Trafford had also been controversial.

But perhaps the other closest comparison with the Isak situation is Robin van Persie in 2012.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had accused Spurs of using their Premier League complaint to push up the Berbatov fee four years earlier.

Getty Images – GettySpurs did not want to sell Berbatov[/caption]

Bradley Ormesher – The TimesHe eventually joined Man United for £30million[/caption]

But this time it was Wenger and Arsenal on the wrong end of a deal.
Van Persie had top-scored in the Premier League in 2011-12 and won the PFA and FWA player of the year awards.

Yet he was unhappy with the Gunners’ lack of challenge for major honours, as a succession of players left. Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure joined City in 2010, with Samir Nasri following in 2011.

Van Persie later claimed not to have been offered a new deal by Arsenal, despite having only one year left on his contract.

Shades there, too, of Isak, who is said to have been annoyed by Newcastle going back on a promise to improve his deal last year.

Van Persie, like Berbatov before him, had offers from City and United.

He chose the latter and promptly provided 26 goals and 10 assists in 38 appearances as United won their 20th (and last) top-flight title in 2013.

A contract row, the ambition to win big titles, a suitor with money to burn who won’t take no for an answer – all the ingredients are there with Isak.

And so the clock ticks down to deadline day.

Isak surely won’t need to go down the Peter Odemwingie route.

On the last day of the 2013 winter window, the Nigerian international striker said goodbye to his West Brom team-mates and drove to QPR’s Loftus Road stadium in anticipation of moving to Rangers.

The only problem was, the deal wasn’t going to happen. As fans and cameras looked on, Odemwingie learned the embarrassing truth and had to turn his Range Rover round to head back up the M1.

Isak will avoid that humiliation. And even if he gets his way, he will surely not be playing for either Newcastle or Liverpool when the sides meet on August 25 at St James’ Park in the second round of Premier League fixtures.

So little chance of a repeat of Adebayor’s length of the pitch sprint to celebrate in front of furious Arsenal fans when he scored for City against them shortly after his move.

But will Liverpool and Isak get their dream final scene before the credits roll on another transfer window melodrama?

TRANSFER NEWS LIVE – KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW

Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]