According to The Athletic’s Chris Waugh, Newcastle United are adamant that striker Alexander Isak is “not for sale” this summer amid widespread interest.
Newcastle return to action in the Premier League on Wednesday evening when they welcome Brentford to St James’ Park, as Eddie Howe turns his attentions to Champions League qualification.
The Magpies have been in party mode for the last fortnight over the international break after winning the Carabao Cup at Wembley Stadium, but with ten games to go in the league, there is still much to play for.
Newcastle are currently just two points behind Chelsea in fourth and with English clubs expected to get the fifth qualification spot in Champions League football next season, there is a huge opportunity not to be missed.
Qualifying for the elite European competition will be another huge success for the North East giants, and would put them in an enviable position to recruit high-quality players that can become key components in the ambitions of the club.
Not only will it open up big opportunities in the transfer market, it will help the club to retain their very best talent with the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Alexander Isak all deserving of playing at the highest level of European football.
The Swedish striker, in particular, has been subjected to non-stop speculation about his future on Tyneside, something he has tried to defuse every single time he has been approached about a move away this season.
Premier League title challengers Liverpool and Arsenal have both been heavily linked with a move for Isak in the summer, however, The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has spoken out to put Newcastle fans’ minds at ease ahead of the summer transfer window.
In an article for the publication, when speaking on the potential of the striker leaving Newcastle this summer, Waugh revealed:
“Newcastle are adamant that will not be the case, with the message from multiple senior figures being that Isak is not for sale.”
Should Newcastle sell Alexander Isak?
Although a £150m price tag is reported to be slapped on Isak, there is no doubt that Newcastle will have zero interest in entertaining any offers for their star player this summer.
The 25-year-old – hailed “world-class” by Premier League top scorer Alan Shearer – has three years left on his contract and it has been further speculated that the club are keen to extend in the coming months to secure the striker’s future on Tyneside long-term.
Only Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have scored more Premier League goals than Isak this season, tallying up 19 goals and five assists so far making him one of the most consistent and sought-after forwards in Europe at the moment.
Under the ownership of Mike Ashley, Newcastle may have earned a reputation for being a selling club keen to make a profit on their better players, however, the Saudi-led project has remained firm on changing that perception by not only signing some of the best upcoming talent, but retaining it to bring multiple avenues of success to the club.
With that being said, it seems highly unlikely that Isak will be going anywhere this summer and qualifying for Champions League football would send another message to their rivals about their ambitions to compete.