Soccer Saturday pundit Paul Merson has shared some doubts over Newcastle spending £58m to sign striker Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad.
The 22-year-old became the Magpies’ club record signing on Thursday and could make his debut at Wolves on Sunday. However, the Soccer Saturday pundit questioned whether he was worth the substantial fee given the lack of interest from bigger clubs this summer.
“He better have the X-Factor for that money,” Merson said on Saturday’s episode of Soccer Saturday. “He’s got to.
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“Barcelona haven’t gone for him, Real Madrid haven’t gone for him, Man. City haven’t gone for him, Man. United haven’t gone for him, Chelsea haven’t gone for him, Arsenal haven’t gone for him, Liverpool haven’t gone for him. Chelsea need a centre-forward, they haven’t even gone for him.
However, the former Arsenal player admitted: “If he hits the X-Factor when he’s at Newcastle he won’t wish to be anywhere else. If he starts scoring goals he’s going to be a hero.”
Merson’s fellow pundit Kris Boyd also shared his verdict on the deal, exclaiming: “It’s a difficult one for Newcastle because everybody knows that they’ve got pots of money so whenever someone becomes available the fee is going to be heightened no matter what. So it’s a difficult one for them.
“When you look at the job Eddie Howe’s done, he’s been bringing in players step by step. There’s no point in Newcastle throwing five, six, seven bodies or whatever with top class ones. If they just go and spend 100million, 200million whatever it would be. But I think, step by step, Newcastle will get better.
“Isak’s come in, he’s a young boy with a ratio of one in three goals in Spain with not one of the big boys suggests that there is something there. He’s only a young boy, we don’t know. We’ve superstars in the Premier League and struggle. You never know.”
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