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The Alexander Isak transfer saga took another twist on Wednesday as it emerged that the Sweden international had been instructed to report to Newcastle's training ground after the rest of his teammates had returned home.
The Swede has effectively been banished from first-team training by boss Eddie Howe after making it clear to the club that he wants to leave this summer.
Isak ruled himself out of Newcastle's pre-season tour of Asia due to a fitness issue but it later emerged that he was maintaining his fitness at former club Real Sociedad's training ground.
Isak's future has been one of the hot topics of the transfer window, and it's one that Eddie Howe, unsurprisingly, has been asked about on several occasions since he returned from his summer vacation.
The first hint that something might be stirring came when Isak was omitted from Newcastle's squad for a friendly against Celtic in Glasgow on July 19.
Howe explained: "It was my decision [to leave Isak out]. I decided to send him home due to the speculation around him. The last thing he wanted is to be sat in the stand watching, that wasn't fair to him."
When asked if he could assure fans that Isak would remain at the club, Howe stated: "It is difficult for me to sit here and give 100% clarity on any player. I'd never sit here and do that.
"It is football and you never know what can happen. All I can say is that Alex is happy at Newcastle, he loves the players and staff, the team.
"I have never had any issue with him other than seeing him express his talent and express himself. Certainly I am confident that he is going to be here at the start of the season."
Around a week later, when speaking from Singapore during Newcastle's pre-season tour of Asia, Howe stated his desire for Isak to stay at the club.
"I said after the Celtic game I certainly hope he stays and I said I was confident he would stay," Howe said. "I don't see anything that will change that opinion of mine at the moment - but it's football and who knows what the future may bring?
"We are in a very strong position financially. We are determined to be successful, be ambitious. We have got a great season ahead of us and we need to add to the squad and continue to improve. The journey will continue in an upward trajectory and that's what we all want."
After Liverpool's opening $146 million offer for Isak was rejected last week, Howe addressed the player's future again. "I think from my situation, I am very much removed from everything that is happening back home," Howe told a news conference.
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"I was made aware there was a bid yesterday. That bid was turned down before I heard about it. There are people back in England dealing with the situation.
"I really don't know what is going to happen next but, from our perspective, we still support Alex in every way and my wish is still that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again." He added: "The situation is far from ideal. It is quite complex. I think that is all I have got to say."
Finally, before flying back to England after Newcastle's final tour fixture, against Tottenham, Howe made it clear to Isak that he wouldn't be reintegrated until he proves that he fully committed to the Magpies' cause.
"You have to earn the right to train with us," Howe told the Daily Mail. "We are Newcastle United. The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team and part of a squad - you have to act in the right way. So that is also at play here.
"We will make sure that any player does that to earn the right to train with the group. No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal."
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