Oh, Alexander. It would be fair to conclude that Alexander Isak and his agent have made a bit of a balls-up in trying to force a move from Newcastle United to Liverpool in the summer of 2025. The Reds were interested in signing the Swedish striker, lodging a bid of £110 million. But the Magpies rejected it, instead demanding that £150 million was their floor price for negotiations.
Liverpool didn’t want to pay that much, and so a sort of Mexican stand-off ensued as the future of the player remained up in the air. Isak and his agent tried to force through the move, claiming that Newcastle had ‘broken promises’ by not allowing the striker to secure a deal elsewhere. But the Magpies have been steadfast in their stance: they will not sell the player until their valuation has been met.
It was then reported that Isak had effectively refused to play in Newcastle’s early games in 2025/26. By the time you read this, the 25-year-old may have completed his move to Anfield or, indeed, somewhere else. But this is another remarkable example of a footballer downing tools until they get what they want. If it’s any crumb of comfort to Isak, he isn’t the first player to have acted in this way. And it’s highly doubtful that he will be the last, either.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Even one of the greatest players ever to lace up their boots wasn’t averse to downing tools when things weren’t going to their liking. Cristiano Ronaldo fell out with then Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag in November 2022, claiming that the Dutchman had ‘betrayed’ him… leaving the Portuguese forward to seek a transfer in the window of January 2023.
It was suggested that the hierarchy at United wanted Ronaldo to suffer, rather than granting him a peaceful exit, and so one of football’s all-time leading goalscorers looked set for a spell of ‘training with the kids.’ CR7 effectively went on strike, sitting on the substitutes bench but twice, reportedly, refusing to enter the game as a sub.
In a bid to force through a move, Ronaldo made an ill-conceived appearance on Piers Morgan’s little-watched TV chatshow, blaming Ten Hag for trying to ‘force him out’ of Old Trafford, before claiming that United had made ‘zero progress’ in the 12 years he was away from the club.
The story would have a very happy – and lucrative – ending for Ronaldo, as Saudi Arabia decided their football revolution needed a global talisman; the Portuguese forward signing for Al-Nassr in a deal that would eventually net him almost £500,000 every single day.
Dimitri Payet
Let me leave or I won’t play; that’s a bold statement from a player. West Ham would perhaps have had a case against Dimitri Payet for breach of contract, but if they’d have fired him then they would have given the Frenchman what he wanted – a chance to move to pastures new. That opportunity looked to come in January 2017, when Marseille made a bid for the playmaker. However, that didn’t meet West Ham’s valuation and so was rejected… leaving Payet furious.
He refused to play and even train with his teammates, creating a situation in which West Ham faced the possibility of letting an expensive asset simply see out his contract and walk away for free, while Hammers boss Slaven Bilic – no shrinking violet himself – recognised the damage that the episode was doing to morale in his squad.
And so Payet’s machinations basically forced them to sell up, so they accepted a revised offer from Marseille… the player had, finally, got his wish. In an insightful interview further down the line, Payet was at least honest about his motivations. “I know how to be a d**khead, it is one of my specialities. It’s a little game. When I want to p**s everyone off, I do it.”
William Gallas
Years earlier, William Gallas had taken the blueprint of going on strike to force a move in a new and sinister direction. The Chelsea defender wanted out of Stamford Bridge, but when he sensed that he wouldn’t get his own way, he allegedly made a stark promise to his club: play me and I will deliberately score own goals to spite you.
It’s hardly the act of a professional, and something which Gallas later denied saying, but either way Arsenal didn’t seem to mind – they snapped up the Frenchman on Transfer Deadline Day in the summer of 2006.
Luis Suárez
You can have some sympathy for Luis Suarez’s revolt at Liverpool back in August 2013. He had a release clause in his contract of £40 million, so when Arsenal came in with a bid of £40 million and a pound, the Uruguayan should have been free to begin negotiations with the Gunners. However, Liverpool rejected the bid; they claimed that in the terms and conditions of the clause, they were only obliged to tell Suarez when a sufficient offer had been made… but they were not obligated to accept it.
Suarez, angered at the club’s position, threatened legal action, but the Reds were not for turning, banishing the striker to train with the youth team. Somehow, Suarez and Liverpool came to a mutual understanding, so he was back playing for the club at the start of the 2013/14 season – a campaign in which he blasted 31 Premier League goals.
Moises Caicedo
Saying goodbye to your team’s fans when you leave via social media is nothing new in football… although it’s an odd strategy to take when your club hasn’t yet sold you. You can’t fault Moises Caicedo’s creativity. Back in January 2023, the Brighton midfielder was made aware of interest in him from Chelsea. The Ecuadorian wanted the move, but the Blues hadn’t yet met the Seagulls’ valuation of their prized asset.
And so Caicedo took to his personal Instagram page, trying to convince Brighton to sell him. “I am proud to be able to bring in a record transfer fee for Brighton,” he wrote. The midfield maestro than thanked the club’s supporters for their support… despite still being employed by the south coast outfit. “The fans have taken me into their heart and they will always be in my heart,” he wrote. “I hope they can understand why I want to take this magnificent opportunity.”
Caicedo was banished from Brighton’s training ground for a large chunk of the transfer window; a punishment he must have known would be forthcoming. But a truce was called and Caicedo returned to the Seagulls midfield in the second half of the 2022/23 season. Alas, it was a fleeting treaty – he refused to turn up to pre-season training in the summer, forcing Brighton to sell him to… you guessed it, Chelsea.
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