1 hour ago
33
Eddie Howe has confessed that his rapport with Alexander Isak took a turn for the worse when the forward declined to play for Newcastle United.
The Swedish striker was offloaded on transfer deadline day to Liverpool in a record deal, with Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade brought in as replacements. Howe was addressing the media for the first time since the summer transfer window closed and following Isak's move to Liverpool, with the striker potentially making his debut at Burnley on Sunday.
Speaking at his press conference ahead of the Wolves match, Howe said: "Alex and I always enjoyed a great relationship. I loved working with him and hope that he loved working with us, we hope it was mutually beneficial, we helped him as a player and he helped us a team.
"We helped him become the player who departed us today and he helped us achieve some important milestones. He was part of a very successful team."
However, after Isak refused to travel to the Far East for pre-season, then chose not to make himself available for the Premier League campaign, Howe admitted the relationship deteriorated.
Howe revealed: "To give you a bit more on that, the moment he went on strike the relationship changed. And yeah, I think that was the turning point in our relationship. Communication became difficult from that point onwards."
Howe has requested patience with his new signings as life post-Isak begins, although this has already been impacted by the surprising news that both Jacob Ramsey and Wissa have been sidelined due to injuries and will miss the upcoming match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Reflecting on the close of the transfer window, Howe stated: "Time is always the best judge of that. We will see how it is viewed. My gut feeling is it has been strong.
"It is hugely important to move on. With the schedule of games coming up, it'll be a quick turnaround and we will need a full squad available. That is why we have needed people around the last two weeks."
Looking back on a challenging summer overall, Howe said: "We always have challenges in different ways. Whether it was a successful window or challenging window, time will be the judge of that. It is a clear focus now. It is just football now so no distractions."
In the long run, Howe anticipates Wissa will prove to be a valuable addition, stating: "He is an established Premier League goalscorer which is very difficult to find, he has a history of scoring goals and been a difficult player for us to handle.
"I admire the journey he has been on, it has not been easy for him. He has had big steps to make and he has always made them."
English (US) ·