Eddie Howe Delivers Shocking Verdict on Alexander Isak's Future Amid Liverpool's Pursuit
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has maintained that Alexander Isak remains part of the club's plans, though he acknowledged the Liverpool-linked striker will almost certainly miss the Magpies' Premier League season opener next weekend.
After publicly expressing his wish to depart the club and skipping pre-season activities, Isak has been instructed to train separately from Newcastle's main group, with Howe stating publicly that the unsettled forward must "earn the right" to rejoin his teammates in training.
Liverpool, after seeing their £110 million ($147.8 million) bid rejected earlier in the transfer window, are anticipated to submit an improved proposal should Newcastle show signs of being open to discussions.
A conclusion to this transfer dispute remains distant, and Howe acknowledged he anticipates the matter will extend into the new Premier League campaign, with Newcastle potentially facing Aston Villa next weekend without their leading goalscorer from last season.
"I'd prefer Alex to be playing today, I'd prefer him training tomorrow," Howe stated. "We would cherish having the player with us—let me be completely transparent about that. There's no aspect of me that doesn't desire that result.
"But I don't foresee that shifting before Aston Villa, given our current circumstances."
Howe's remarks came just before The Telegraph disclosed that Newcastle's ownership, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, have definitively rejected selling Isak this summer. Board representatives are understood to have communicated that verdict to the striker, who has been left deeply disappointed by the refusal to allow his desired transfer to Liverpool.
Predictably, Isak was absent from the Newcastle lineup that secured a 2–2 draw with Espanyol on Friday. Following the match, Howe faced further questions about his intentions regarding the striker and remained firm that there exists a pathway for Isak's return at Newcastle.
"We've held conversations and it's evident at present we cannot include him with the group," the Newcastle manager elaborated. "I'm uncertain how long that arrangement will continue. It's obvious I cannot integrate him with the team currently.
"He is training at a different time from the main squad. There have been talks since the tour concluded. I don't believe disciplinary measures have been implemented.
"He remains here, so naturally he has a future at Newcastle. From our standpoint, we would be delighted to welcome him back with the team, but the circumstances must be appropriate for that to occur.
"He doesn't face any fitness concerns. I'm conscious of a sentiment within the squad that there's an element present that doesn't serve the group's interests."