Wayne Rooney rips into Alexander Isak and pinpoints ONE major concern Liverpool will have about signing him - as he reflects on his own transfer dispute with Man United in 2010

Wayne Rooney questioned whether Liverpool will be having second thoughts over the signing of Alexander Isak on Match of the Day amid the Swede's refusal to play for Newcastle United.

The 25-year-old has made no secret of his desire to leave the Magpies this summer after netting 23 Premier League goals last term.

He was the subject of a £110million bid from Arne Slot's side last month, which was promptly rejected by the Newcastle hierarchy, who are believed to value Isak at closer to £150m.

But in a bid to force through a move to the Premier League champions, the talented frontman initially reported an injury to keep him out of Newcastle's pre-season tour before later jetting off to Spain to train at his former club Real Sociedad's training ground.

With a second bid from Liverpool expected in the coming weeks, Isak is now on-strike and refusing to play for Eddie Howe's side - a decision slammed by Rooney and co-pundit Alan Shearer on the first MotD episode of the season on Saturday night.

The striker was absent from Newcastle's matchday squad for their goalless draw at Aston Villa yesterday.

Wayne Rooney was hugely critical of Alexander Isak's recent behaviour while speaking on Match of the Day last night

The Swede is currently refusing to play for Newcastle United amid interest from Liverpool

Arne Slot's side had a £110million bid rejected for the talented forward last month

Speaking to new host Mark Chapman, Rooney said: 'The fact that he's refusing to come in and train, it's going to be very difficult for him to come back in.

'There's a trust element there, he's going about it the wrong way. Maybe he's getting advised wrongly.

'But also for the team who's trying to sign him, in this case it looks like Liverpool, you have to wonder is this the sort of player you want - who's going to desert his team-mates and a huge football club.

'It's a good opportunity but it has to be done in the right way.'

Isak's situation is one Rooney can likely empathise with, given his very public efforts to leave Manchester United in the early 2010s.

Following a fallout with the striker at the beginning of the 2010-11 season, Sir Alex Ferguson announced that his No 10 had asked to leave the club, with Chelsea thought to be the main club interested in securing his signature.

Rooney was evidently thought to be keen on a move following Ferguson's revelation, but in a dramatic U-turn the striker ultimately stayed at Old Trafford, later signing a new deal.

The England great opened up about his own transfer saga with Shearer while analysing Isak's situation.

"He's going about it the wrong way" ❌@waynerooney thinks the handling of Alexander Isak's situation should have been done differently.#MOTD #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/g6O6JwoX9V — Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) August 16, 2025

The Swede was nowhere to be seen in the Magpies' matchday squad at Aston Villa yesterday

'I think he has to go about it the right way,' Rooney said, 'there's the right way to do it and the wrong way.

'And I've been there myself when I've asked Manchester United to leave.'

Before his co-pundit pointed out: 'But you put in a transfer request. You didn't refuse to train, you didn't refuse to play.

'So there is a way to do it and Alex is not going about it the right way at all and you have to feel sorry for the players and the manager [at Newcastle].

'The players today are busting a gut for the football club, for the thousands of fans that have travelled all that way to Villa Park today.

'They're giving their all but they're looking at another player, wherever he is, refusing to play despite having a three-year contract and on over £100 a week.

'You can imagine the anger that they're feeling that someone is taking the liberty of refusing to play. You can't do that when you've got a three-year contract.'

Rooney asked to leave Manchester United in 2010 following a fallout with Sir Alex Ferguson

Newcastle's next Premier League fixture sees them host, of course, Liverpool at St James's Park next week.

It is perhaps unlikely that the Magpies would sanction a deal for the Swede to join their opponents before then, though a mouth-watering bid of £150m could sway that decision.

Before selling however, Eddie Howe is believed to want to bring in a replacement.

It's been a frustrating transfer window for the Tyneside giants this summer after they missed out on targets Bryan Mbuemo, Matheus Cunha and more recently Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United.

The situation is nevertheless starting to look more promising for Newcastle fans with the addition of Aston Villa's Jacob Ramsey this week on top of Anthony Elanga earlier in the window.

The Magpies will no-doubt be shifting their attention towards bringing in a No 9 now, with Rasmus Hojlund one of the names believed to be on their shortlist.

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