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So far, Newcastle’s pre-season has been a nightmare. There is no other way of describing it.

They have had a disastrous transfer window, missing out on every one of their top targets they went for, and on top of that they have got Alexander Isak’s situation hanging over them as they get ready for the opening weekend.

One way or another they have to resolve it, but that won’t be easy. Isak clearly wants to leave St James’ Park and join Liverpool, but he cannot be sold if they don’t get anyone in to replace him.

It’s not just one new striker Newcastle need, either. Callum Wilson moved on earlier in the summer so the reality is that if they don’t get two centre-forwards in, Isak does not go anywhere.

That is still a possible scenario and, if he is still at Newcastle when the window closes at the start of September, things get interesting because he will want to play – he could be playing for his World Cup place with Sweden at next summer’s finals.

There are a lot of ifs, buts and maybes surrounding Isak at the moment, but over the next two or three weeks we will find out a lot more about how things could pan out.

At the moment, though, Newcastle’s priority is Saturday and their trip to Aston Villa.

This summer should have been a time for Newcastle to really kick on after last season, following the highs of claiming their first domestic trophy for 70 years and then qualifying for the Champions League.

I don’t know how or why it has been allowed to happen, but right now it feels like much of that momentum has been lost.

Newcastle went into the summer with no chief executive or sporting director, which I find amazing. They knew Darren Eales was stepping down as chief executive last September – 11 months ago – and Paul Mitchell left as sporting director at the end of June.

I don’t know why they haven’t appointed anyone yet or if that has hindered them in the transfer market, because I am not inside the club, but from the outside it is not a good look. It’s a mess, and it begs the question about who has making the big decisions.

Now they have to deal with Isak as well. There are two sides to every story and we haven’t heard from Isak yet, or anyone inside his camp, other than him saying he wants to explore his options.

We don’t know when he told the club that, how he told them, or what his feelings are about exactly why he wants out. What we do know is that Liverpool have offered £110m for him.

In recent years we have seen Enzo Fernandez, Declan Rice and Jack Grealish go for around £100m so, if that is the bar, they are never going to get Isak – a 25-year-old striker who has scored 44 Premier League goals across the past two seasons – for £110m. I don’t think you’d get Dan Burn for that, to be honest.

I am not angry about the way Isak has behaved, because I know how football works. I’m disappointed and surprised that this is happening now, but I have been in the game long enough to understand why we have got to this point.

It seems obvious that Liverpool have got into him, or his agent, to turn his head and make him want to go there. From a players’ perspective, rather than a fan, I get the mentality where he has made his mind up about what is best for his future too.

But it is the club that matters most here and, whatever happens next, the crux of the matter is that Newcastle United are far bigger than any one individual – it always has been, and always will be.

Players move on all the time, and do what they have to do, but the club is always there. That’s the one constant, every season.

So, Newcastle have to look after themselves, which means that if they are contemplating letting Isak go for whatever price they want for him, then they also need to get two strikers they want in before they can do that.

If they are available, Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins are proven Premier League strikers and probably the best-case scenario from Newcastle’s point of view.

At the same time, I appreciate fans of those clubs won’t like their centre-forwards being linked with moves away, the same way Newcastle supporters feel right now.

It is very difficult to predict what Newcastle’s season could look like until Isak’s future is sorted out, but it could still be a very good one.

They have got one of, if not the best, midfields in the country, they are really strong in wide areas and it looks like they are signing another centre-half in AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw.

So, looking at the bigger picture, whether Isak stays or goes and they can bring two quality strikers in, they have still got a very good team.

Even so, I am still not sure they would be able to improve on last season’s fifth-place finish. Last season’s top four have done so much good business and gone so big in the transfer market, it is going to be extremely difficult for any of the chasing pack to break into those places, not just Newcastle.

In terms of the title I see Liverpool as favourites, even without Isak. You just have to look at what they did last season, and how they won the title at a canter.

They have seen Trent Alexander-Arnold leave, and tragically lost Diogo Jota, but have spent heavily to strengthen their squad and won’t be distracted by having any stars coming to the end of their contract. Who knows what they might do under Arne Slot if they got another forward as good as Isak is, too.

Arsenal finally have an out-and-out striker in Viktor Gyokeres and will believe that, after three successive second places, he can get them over the line in a title race. Their top scorer in the Premier League last season was Kai Havertz with nine goals, so that tells you what they have been missing.

How Gyokeres fits in is one of the things I am really looking forward to finding out in the new campaign, and it is the same with other strikers at new clubs, like Liam Delap and Joao Pedro at Chelsea. I don’t think they are finished yet in the transfer market, and their attack is already looking a lot more dangerous than last season.

The same applies with how Benjamin Sesko settles in at Manchester United. I was disappointed that he chose to go there over Newcastle, but at the same time I saw him live several times last season and he is a player with potential, rather than offering guaranteed goals.

I see what Sesko’s strengths are, but £74m is a lot of money for a player with room for improvement. At 22 he is no way the finished article, but there will still be big pressure on him to perform.

With Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United have spent more than £200m on their forward line, but I still don’t see them getting in next season’s top four.

I think it’s almost impossible for them to go from 15th to the Champions League places, even if fifth place is good enough again. Instead I have them finishing anywhere between sixth and 10th, but no higher.