Alexander Isak transfer twist as Newcastle drop announcement bombshell amid Arsenal links

Amid Alexander Isak's links with a summer switch from Newcastle United to Arsenal, the man responsible for all of the Magpies' transfers, Paul Mitchell, is now announced to be stepping down from his role.

Mitchell has worked at St. James' Park since last July, organising £29.4m-worth of arrivals and £75m-worth of sales for in the 2024/25 campaign.

It was that latter figure accrued from selling fringe players that seemingly allowed the North East club to avoid handing a star player, such as 62-goal striker Isak, to a rival like in their own bid to keep within financial rules.

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As football.london reported, and 's name fit the blueprint for Mikel Arteta, as did Benjamin Sesko's.

Newcastle sorted their finances out whilst the latter chose to stay with RB Leipzig, and time to find an alternative slipped away.

Today in their about Mitchell, the Magpies have clarified he is to leave his sporting director post one June 30, 2025.

CEO Darren Eales will also be stepping aside due to health reasons.

"Paul leaves with the club’s best wishes and the Board would like to express its sincere thanks to him for his professionalism and diligent service."

Who his successor will be and most importantly from an Arsenal perspective how this will impact Isak's future at Newcastle, with whom he is contract with until 2028, remains to be seen.

On the one hand, whilst netting 27 times in the 2024/25 campaign, his club have maintained their No.14 is under any circumstances permitted to leave when the summer window opens.

"He's not for sale from my perspective," manager Eddie Howe told reporters earlier in May.

"I want to build a squad, I want the strongest squad possible for next season. There is a lot to look forward to here, hopefully. The end of the season is crucial for us.

"I think that we have a strong squad and, if we can add players for the first time in a few windows, that will make a massive, massive difference for us. That's what I'm focusing on, not the other way around."

Certainly helping that ambition was Newcastle qualifying for next season's Champions League in the final round of fixtures on Sunday, despite defeat against Everton.

They now have that to offer Isak, just as the Gunners do.

But, at a later date Howe was asked about Isak's future by football.london following his side's 1-0 loss at the Emirates Stadium, and replied: "I never make those guarantees about any player.

"It's not to do with Alex's future, I'd be foolish to sit here and do anything like that. We want to keep our strongest players. I have said that as long as I've sat in this seat.

"We have to keep our strongest players and also bring in more good players to make us stronger, because of the ambition of the club and everybody connected with its long-term success.

"That's the only way we can try to get that..."