Eddie Howe Breaks Silence on Liverpool's Shocking Failed Pursuit of Alexander Isak

Eddie Howe has emphasized his hope to see Alexander Isak return to action for Newcastle United following Liverpool's unsuccessful attempt to sign the Swedish forward, though he admitted uncertainty about whether the transfer speculation has concluded.

After hinting at a potential £120 million ($159 million) offer during informal discussions earlier this summer, Liverpool's formal bid reached only £110 million ($145.7 million) on Friday, which Newcastle promptly rejected.

While initial reports suggested Liverpool might submit another offer, it subsequently became clear that the club had chosen not to pursue the matter further, recognizing they could not persuade Newcastle to change their stance.

"From my position, I was quite disconnected from the developments happening back home," Howe explained at a press conference. "I learned about a bid yesterday, and that offer was rejected before I was even informed. The people in England are handling the matter.

"I genuinely don't know what comes next. From our standpoint, we continue to back Alex completely, and my hope is that we'll see him wearing a Newcastle jersey again."

Howe also admitted he was unaware that Isak was training with his former club Real Sociedad until media reports surfaced, but declined to rule out a potential return for the striker.

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle were puzzled by Liverpool's approach, considering they had indicated a higher sum the previous month. The choice to withdraw after their offer was declined has also caught Newcastle officials off guard, who felt it was clear Liverpool's bid would never meet their expectations.

Some within Newcastle have reportedly felt "confused and frustrated" by Liverpool's actions in disrupting Isak's situation, but when Howe was questioned about sharing these feelings, he maintained his focus was on looking ahead.

"It's challenging because the future remains uncertain," Howe added. "There can be various discussions and theoretical scenarios, but then you must deal with what's actually happening.

"The fact is we received Liverpool's initial offer yesterday. I understand it was declined, and from here we'll see what develops. I have no way to forecast that.

"Regarding attempts to unsettle players, from our viewpoint, we can only speak for ourselves, we aim to conduct business properly, player acquisitions are always complicated, we simply try to do what we believe is correct.

"I cannot comment on other clubs, that's not my place to judge."