Sir Alex Ferguson's secret deal as Alexander Isak drops transfer bombshell

In an effort to determine how to deal with a dilemma like Alexander Isak, Eddie Howe could do worse than mimic the example set by Sir Alex Ferguson. Newcastle find themselves with a wantaway superstar desperate to leave the club for pastures new, as Manchester United did when Cristiano Ronaldo showed a liking towards Real Madrid in 2008.

Isak, 25, has made no secret of his desire to leave St. James' Park, which has led to him being frozen out of the squad on the eve of the new Premier League campaign. The Athletic reported Isak, who was already the subject of a rejected £120million bid from Liverpool, is "adamant" he'll never play in black and white again, having grown despondent after learning he won't yet be offered a new contract.

The details are different, but certain aspects of the stand-off closely resemble United's predicament with Ronaldo 17 years ago. The Portugal talisman had just led the Red Devils to Champions League glory, prompting then-Real president Ramon Calderon to publicly proclaim his intention to make the world-beater one of his own.

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Ferguson, 83, didn't take kindly to the declaration and informed his player as such, though there was a caveat to his defiance. Writing in his 2013 memoir, 'My Autobiography', the Scot struck a secret agreement with the five-time Ballon d'Or-winner that he would remain for one more year before being allowed to leave on United's terms.

A passage from the book read: "I found the boy expressing an urge to go to Real Madrid, and told him, 'You can’t go this year, not after the way Calderon has approached the issue.'

"I said, ‘I know you want to go to Real Madrid, but I’d rather shoot you than sell you to that guy now. If you perform, don’t mess us about, and someone comes and offers us a world-record fee, then we will let you go.' I had already conveyed that message to his agent, Jorge Mendes.

"I did well to calm him down. I told him the reason I was refusing to sell him that year was because of Calderon. I said, 'If I do that, all my honour's gone, everything's gone for me, and I don't care if you have to sit in the stands. I know it won't come to that, but I just have to tell you I will not let you leave this year.'"

The rest is history. Ronaldo saw out one more season at Old Trafford before joining Real for a then-world-record fee of £80m after Florentino Perez took over as Calderon's presidential successor in Madrid.

It ended up being money very well spent on their part, and Ferguson got to keep his honour intact. The same perhaps can't be said for Isak at this rate after reportedly stating his intent to sit in the stands rather than play for Newcastle again.

And if Howe were to replicate Ferguson's line of logic, he may have to make peace with the possibility of Isak seeing out significant game time on the sidelines. It's all but impossible to envision in this day and age, but both Howe and his Saudi bosses have to consider that possibility, with no obvious suitors lining up to meet his supposed £150m price-tag at this stage of the transfer window.

The Swede's alleged act of defiance has angered the talkSPORT duo of Gabby Agbonlahor and Ally McCoist, who criticised his actions on Tuesday. And the pair believe Isak's summer shenanigans, which include missing Newcastle's pre-season tour and training at former club Real Sociedad, have only harmed his appeal in the long run.

Former Aston Villa striker Agbonlahor took aim at Isak after hearing the latest developments and asked: "Who does he think he is? Disgusting, what that club has done for you."

Scottish football icon McCoist hammered home the point by questioning whether Isak's behaviour was becoming of an elite transfer target: "If you're Liverpool, is that the kind of person you want to be signing?"

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