Newcastle United signed Alexander Isak last month, and the deal was made possible by chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s presence at St James’ Park. The PIF chief was in attendance for the Magpies’ 3-3 draw with Manchester City, a thrilling encounter that saw Eddie Howe’s side go toe-to-toe with the Champions. It also saw Callum Wilson pick up a hamstring problem, further heightening the need for Newcastle to sign a striker before the transfer window closed. According to former Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini, Al-Rumayyan was a key figure that led to Isak arriving for £59million.
Coloccini stated that the Toon chairman decided that he wanted the club to ‘do something big’ in the transfer market that would help the team. And that’s what led to the Toon hierarchy pushing the boat out to land Isak. The 22-year-old had been linked with a move earlier in the summer, but was deemed too expensive. That was a disappointment, as he was a player who head of recruitment Steve Nickson had tracked for a long time.