Newcastle fans tell the club to 'SELL' Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon as stars come under fire for posting emotional goodbye messages to Liverpool's Alexander Isak

Newcastle stars Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon have both come under fire on social media after posting messages wishing Alexander Isak well in the wake of his tumultuous move to Liverpool - with some calling for the club to 'sell' them for their statements.

The Sweden international's attritional stand-off with his former club was one of the standout sagas of the summer transfer window, with Isak breaking his silence in August amid speculation over his future with a bombshell message to his followers on Instagram.

The striker appeared to accuse Newcastle of breaking promises to him over a potential move to Merseyside, forcing a response from the Magpies rubbishing his claim .

Isak then refused to play for manager Eddie Howe for the first three matches of the Premier League season in a bid to show his desire for a move away - despite any potential transfer depending on Newcastle recruiting replacement attackers.

Following the signing of Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade at the end of last week, Isak was finally announced as Liverpool's final signing for a British record fee of £125million.

Newcastle issued a curt statement announcing his departure, which some fans described as 'salty', while others online dubbed Isak a 'rat' for the way his move had been conducted.

Anthony Gordon was among those to say goodbye publicly to Liverpool star Alexander Isak

Sven Botman is another Newcastle team-mate to have opted to support his former colleague

But former team-mates Botman and Gordon chose to share more emotional messages in the wake of his exit, with the latter openly acknowledging the difficulty of the events themselves.

'Regardless of the situation & what's gone on, it's been a pleasure to play with you,' Gordon wrote over a picture of the pair playing together. 'One of the best chemistries I've had on the pitch and more importantly a great person and teammate.

'I wish you nothing but the best brother (red heart emoji).'

Botman added in his post: 'What started off as teammates growed (sp) in one of my rare best friendships.

'No more words needed brother, all the best in your next chapter (red heart emoji).'

With tensions around the transfer still high, some Newcastle fans were unhappy to see such a public show of support to Isak from their current stars.

'Sell them,' one fan wrote on social media site X. 'Lad went on strike and watched them play when he could of helped. Anyone who condones it can leave (in my opinion)'.

One commenter wrote: 'Would have been nice of them to post support for Eddie Howe's handling of the whole situation. The bloke who never hid under a rock unlike that (rat emoji).'

A number of fans stressed that the players' offences were enough to see them moved on

Others were more low-key in their disapproval but suggested that a private message would have been more meaningful

Another added: 'Exposing themselves as weeds that need to be pulled before they do it. They could have just sent him a (private message) or a text but this destroys their relationship with the fans. They should start looking for a new club.'

Others agreed that the sentiment should have been shared privately, with one critic posting: 'Not a great look should have kept that private but that's how things are these days'.

A second wrote: 'They need to read the room. Text their mate, don't post on social media for all the fans to see! Respect how we lost points thanks to that rat! Disappointed in this.'

Another agreed, adding: '(Distressed emoji) Really disappointed they've made an unnecessary public show of support for him. Even if they have sympathy for his contract situation, they are well aware of how he has treated the fans. They're entitled to their opinion, but could they not just have sent him a text message?'

'For me there's nothing wrong with showing your good mate support, when others aren't,' one fan wrote. 'However, you also don't publicly do it when your current employers are winless in their first three games because of said "mate".

'Gordon and Botman are both brilliant footballers who have done a lot for #NUFC - but they've got it wrong on this occasion, and perhaps a private message would have been more appropriate given the circumstances.'

The turbulence between the two clubs, the player, and his former fans shows no sign of abating with the international break too.

Isak - who is on duty for Sweden's World Cup qualifiers - has not spoken out beyond the comments he made after signing for Liverpool on Monday, but his agent Vlado Lemic fired a parting shot at Newcastle with a statement made to talkSPORT on Tuesday morning.

Fans have been unhappy with Isak's refusal to play in their first three Premier League games

The 25-year-old has signed for a British record £125million - and waited until the last minute

The player is now training with his national team set-up ahead of World Cup qualifying games

'It's nice when you have someone to be with, but it's even nicer when you know who you'll never be with again,' Lemic said in the cryptic missive shared with the broadcaster.

For his part, Isak is likely to be keen to return to match action and focus his attention on the pitch.

His international manager Jon Dahl Tomasson said on Monday that despite the swirl of news stories around his player, he was confident that Isak is in a good place for a strong showing for his country.

'Alex is extremely professional, and he has a great mentality. He is very stable, and in control,' Tomasson said in his first press conference of the camp.

'We are not afraid of that (the transfer impacting his performance). Definitely not.'