4 days ago
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Newcastle's hierarchy remains confident they can navigate the ongoing Alexander Isak saga, despite tensions flaring in the wake of their decision to block a transfer to Liverpool.
The 25-year-old striker has been at the center of one of the summer’s biggest stories after being left out of Newcastle's preseason tour of Asia and subsequently training alone. Reports suggest Isak reacted angrily when told he would not be sold this window, with the club’s Saudi owners resolute in their stance that he will stay on Tyneside.
Liverpool had a nine-figure bid rejected last week, well short of Newcastle’s $202 million valuation, and has since cooled its pursuit—although sources suggest the Reds may yet return with a British record offer before the window shuts on September 1, should the Magpies open the door.
The situation has been further complicated by Newcastle’s frustration with Isak’s representatives, who they feel have given the player poor advice, and with Liverpool’s approach, which the club saw as unrealistic.
Despite the growing strain, the Magpies’ board believes the matter can be resolved and that Isak will eventually be reintegrated into the squad.
Instead of staying on Tyneside while his teammates were in Asia, the 25-year-old chose to train at the facilities of his former club, Real Sociedad. Since rejoining Newcastle, Isak has been separated from the main squad and was absent from Friday night’s 2-2 friendly draw with Espanyol.
Manager Eddie Howe has already confirmed that Isak will not feature when the Premier League resumes next week, leaving Newcastle without its leading goalscorer for the start of the campaign.
However, senior figures at the club are determined to hold their ground, insisting that a new contract—potentially including a release clause—will be discussed once the transfer window closes.
Howe admitted he “does not know what the future holds” for Isak, confirming the striker will remain in isolation during training next week.
"We’ve had discussions and it’s clear we can’t involve him in the group at the moment," said Newcastle’s manager. "I don’t know how long that will last. He is training later than the rest of the squad.
"From our perspective we’d like to see him back with the team but the situation has to be right for the team. He’s contracted to us so, of course, there’s a chance he could play for Newcastle again. But I don’t know what the future holds."
With Newcastle still struggling to secure a replacement, Howe was asked whether he could demand that a player who skipped the club’s preseason tour of Singapore and South Korea honor his contract.
The manager, however, noted that he did not believe the board had yet taken disciplinary action against the 25-year-old.
“It’s not that straightforward,” he said. “We’d have done that if we could but we’re not currently in a position to do that. The team has, of course, been disrupted by this. But that doesn’t mean we can’t overcome this and come back even stronger.”
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