Newcastle's wantaway stars sent summer transfer warning from Rob Lee

Newcastle United's summer before the last season was massively overshadowed by the saga of Alexander Isak's actions.

The Sweden striker had decided he wanted to leave the club and set about being as disruptive as possible until he got what he wanted.

His actions cast a dark shadow over Newcastle's whole summer and pre-season preparations, and while it's far from the only reason this past season was so poor, it certainly played a part.

Newcastle officials claim that lessons have been learned from last year, but they may have to manage unsettled stars once again this summer, as the futures of Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento appear uncertain heading into pre-season.

Rob Lee demands full commitment from Newcastle players

Former Newcastle midfielder Rob Lee has been speaking to The Chronicle about this and has sent a message to the players, saying if you want to leave, then leave.

"If players don't want to be at Newcastle - I don't care who they are - let's get the best possible deal for them now.

"Don't leave it late like Isak, and if somebody comes in for them, ask them: 'Do you want to play for us or not?'

"If they don't, then go, I've said this on the podcast Adopted Geordies.

"Fans are fed up with players who come here and don't really want to be at Newcastle. I don't care who it is; if you don't want to play for Newcastle, go. There are thousands of players that do because it is a great club."

Newcastle is still a stepping stone club, unfortunately

The Chronicle has framed this towards Sandro Tonali, who has been heavily linked with a move away over the summer. His agent has made no attempt to hide the fact that he'd love to get his client a move, but Tonali himself hasn't made any such noises, at least not publicly.

We aren't sure what to believe when it comes to Tonali. I'd love him to stay and recapture his form, but I do agree with Rob Lee. If he's not fully committed, then we should be looking to get the best price for him and move on.

We've been used as a stepping stone club for years, and just because we have this exciting new project doesn't necessarily mean we're out of that band just yet, especially when we're heading into 2026/27 without European football following a 12th-place finish.

Exciting times may still await, but good players coming and going remains a sad fact that we're going to have to get used to until we're competing at the very top.