Wednesday’s briefing: Isak posts Newcastle goodbye as Donnarumma joins Man City

Alexander Isak said his goodbyes to Newcastle after completing a £125million deadline day switch to Liverpool, while Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma signed on at Manchester City.

England boss Thomas Tuchel handed midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek a return to the international fold for the first time in six years ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

Elsewhere, referees’ chief Howard Webb accepted the decision to disallow Josh King’s goal for Fulham against Chelsea following a VAR check was “wrong”.

Alexander Isak ‘forever grateful’ for time on the Toon

Alexander Isak says he will be “forever grateful” to former club Newcastle following his £125million switch to Liverpool.

The 25-year-old striker joined Liverpool on deadline day for a British record transfer fee and has signed a six-year deal with the Reds.

The Sweden international’s switch to Anfield ends a long-drawn out saga after he effectively went on strike while searching for a move elsewhere over the summer.

Isak, who scored in the Carabao Cup final as the Magpies clinched their first domestic piece of silverware for 70 years, posted a personal message to his former club on Instagram.

“I want to express my gratitude to my teammates, the staff, and above all, the city of Newcastle and all the amazing supporters for the three unforgettable years we shared together,” Isak said.

“Together, we have written history and brought the club to the place where it truly belongs. It has been an honour to be part of the journey from reaching the Champions League to winning the first trophy in over 70 years.

“Forever grateful. Thank you, Newcastle.”

Gianluigi Donnarumma heads to City as duo depart

Manchester City confirmed the signing of Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris St Germain.

There were also two high-profile departures as Ederson ended his eight-year stay with a move to Fenerbahce while former captain Ilkay Gundogan headed to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Donnarumma, 26, has been on the lookout for the right move after his omission from PSG’s Super Cup squad made it clear to him he was no longer their first-choice goalkeeper.

“I am joining a squad packed with world-class talent and a team led by the one of the greatest managers in the history of football in Pep Guardiola,” said Donnarumma, who has signed a five-year contract with the fee a reported 35 million euro (£30.4m).

“This is a club every player in world football would love to join.”

England calling for Ruben Loftus-Cheek

AC Milan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been called up to the England squad for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, along with Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah.

Loftus-Cheek and Quansah will join Thomas Tuchel’s group for the double-header after Adam Wharton withdrew due to a groin injury suffered in Crystal Palace’s 3-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday.

Midfielder Loftus-Cheek returns to the England fold for the first time in six years – his last call-up coming in March 2019.

The 29-year-old has won 10 caps, the last of which was against the United States in November 2018, but is known to Tuchel having played under him at Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Quansah, who swapped Liverpool for Leverkusen in the summer, is uncapped, but has been in several squads before.

We got it wrong, says referees chief Howard Webb

Referees’ chief Howard Webb has described the decision to disallow Josh King’s goal against Chelsea as a “misjudgement” by the match officials.

VAR Michael Salisbury had intervened to ask match referee Rob Jones to go to the pitchside monitor after Fulham midfielder King had scored 21 minutes into Saturday’s west London derby at Stamford Bridge.

Ultimately the goal was chalked off when team-mate Rodrigo Muniz was adjudged to have stepped on Trevoh Chalobah during the build-up despite minimal contact.

Salisbury was subsequently stood down as VAR official for Sunday’s meeting between Liverpool and Arsenal.

Speaking on the “Match Officials Mic’d Up” programme, Professional Game Match Officials Limited chief refereeing officer Webb stated the decision was the result of a “misjudgement” by the officials.

“It wasn’t controversial, it was wrong. We’ve established some principles in terms of how we officiate in the Premier League and how we use VAR,” Webb said.

“We understand the importance of these decisions, we understand that, if we get it wrong like we did on this occasion, the impact is significant and we’re always, always striving to do better.”

What’s on today?

England are holding a media day at St George’s Park on Wednesday morning as preparations continue for Saturday’s Group K match against Andorra.

There will also be preview press conferences from Wales and Northern Ireland ahead of their respective World Cup qualifiers in Kazakhstan and Luxembourg on Thursday.

Closer to home on Wednesday night, there are several games in the Enterprise National League.