Former Newcastle star Michael Owen has hit out at "two-faced" football fans for their attitude towards players who go on strike - after Alexander Isak and Yoane Wissa forced moves to Liverpool and Brentford.

Both players came under fire from supporters and pundits this summer after taking drastic measures to secure their transfers - with Isak refusing to join Newcastle on their pre-season tour of Asia and staying from the first team when the season started.

In the end, Isak managed to wrap up his record-breaking £125million switch to Liverpool on deadline day, while Wissa joined Newcastle as his replacement after similarly refusing to play for Brentford.

It has kicked off a huge debate in the Premier League around footballers employing distasteful tactics to seal moves. Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi earned plaudits for remaining professional despite speculation linking him to Liverpool but saw a deadline day move collapse.

Owen - who played 79 times for the Magpies - leapt to the defence of Isak and said he understood his frustration without condoning his behaviour, saying that "the clubs you feel sorry for are probably the biggest perpetrators" in such conduct.

READ MORE: Liverpool news: Marc Guehi responds to failed transfer as star left unhappy with Arne Slot call

READ MORE: Andy Carroll suffers nightmare first start on English football return with straight red

"[Isak] will say it was the right thing to do," he told BetSelect. "The purists out there will say you need to behave well at all times. It depends on which side you take.

“But this is not new. This always happens. It's only in the public eye because it's such a high-profile transfer. This probably happened 20 times this transfer window, but nobody was quite as interested because it was happening at smaller clubs.

“I get it from all sides. I absolutely do. I've seen it from both sides in my career, and I'll continue to see it for as long as football exists, because that's just what happens.

"I wasn't condoning Isak’s behaviour. I was saying, let's just have a bit of balance here because the clubs that you are feeling so sorry for are the ones that are probably the biggest perpetrators in all of this. So I was just trying to bring some balance to the argument, not agree with what he was doing."

Owen slammed the "two facedness" of football fans for slamming one player who has forced a move yet welcoming another who has done the same. He referenced Liverpool fans who tore into Trent Alexander-Arnold for joining Real Madrid yet were delighted when Isak arrived.

"You can’t have a hissy fit when a player forces a move away from your club if the same thing is happening on the other side," he added. "Yoane Wissa was doing the same thing. What will the Newcastle fans do? They go mad at Isak, but I bet you they open their arms to Wissa.

“It’s the same with Liverpool. Trent Alexander-Arnold went on a Bosman, and fans didn’t like that there was no fee. But, I'm sure when the next Bosman comes, then they're absolutely delighted to welcome them to the detriment of another losing someone for free. That's just football. I just can't stand the two-facedness of it all."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.