Newcastle United are not going to publicly address the rumors surrounding Alexander Isak’s future declaring him untransferable despite growing interest in the Swedish forward, according to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh.
While fans have called for a strong statement declaring Isak unavailable for transfer, the club brass appears hesitant to issue any public reassurances beyond those provided by manager Eddie Howe in his pre- and post-game press conferences.
In response to a fan query about whether the club might publicly state they wouldn’t sell Isak for less than £150 million, Waugh explained the reasons behind NUFC’s approach to the situation.
“I would not get your hopes up about a public utterance on the matter from anyone beyond Howe,” Waugh answered to a question from a reader over his latest Q&A. “Darren Eales, the CEO, may speak in January if Newcastle release their accounts, as they did this year, but that may be it for executive-level remarks throughout the month. It is also not necessarily in their interests to put that out there.”
Waugh elaborated on the potential risks of issuing a public statement, noting that it could inadvertently encourage interest from other clubs and take some leverage from Newcastle in convincing Isak to say put.
“Newcastle have no intention of selling Isak mid-season and have not received a bid for the Sweden international, so responding to unsubstantiated speculation merely fuels that and, counterintuitively, could even suggest to potential suitors that they would consider a sale,” Waugh wrote.
The 25-year-old striker, who has scored 41 Premier League goals since joining for a club-record £60 million from Real Sociedad in 2022, remains a cornerstone of Howe’s plans.
“Isak has not asked to leave and Howe is adamant he is happy at Newcastle, but I am just offering up a hypothetical,” Waugh wrote.
The insider, however, revealed that there is always a possibility that a substantial offer from another team or a shift in circumstances—namely Newcastle failing to clinch a Champions League berth—could change the equation.
“If Newcastle take that stance, but then a substantial offer short of that figure arrives and Isak pushes to leave, they may be forced into a position whereby they have to actually seriously consider it,” Waugh wrote.
For now, Newcastle remain steadfast in their determination to retain Isak through the January transfer window.
“Howe has stated that he does not fear Isak leaving in January and senior figures inside the club have echoed that sentiment in private,” Waugh reported. “The summer may be a different matter, especially if Newcastle fail to qualify for Europe, but the club are determined to keep hold of the 25-year-old in January.”