Newcastle United continue to stand firm with regards to Alexander Isak’s future.
Isak’s statement shocked the footballing world on Tuesday night, but it has not got him closer to leaving St James’ Park.
In response, Newcastle released their own statement. They hinted towards Isak having to stay put whether he likes it or not.
Away from official club statements, it has been reported that Newcastle are not going to sell Isak this summer. That is bad news for the player and it is bad news for Liverpool.
Eddie Howe will speak about the situation to the media on Friday, but who at the club is actually making the decisions when it comes to Isak’s Toon future?
Eddie Howe looks at Alexander Isak during Newcastle United's Carabao Cup trophy celebration event.
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Alexander Isak’s Newcastle United future is being decided in Saudi Arabia
According to journalist Julien Laurens, he has been told that PIF in Saudi Arabia are the driving force behind what is happening with Isak at Newcastle United, rather than Eddie Howe.
The decisions are going above the Newcastle United manager, with Laurens discussing PIF’s stance on the Transfer Talk podcast.
“I still can’t see him leaving,” he said.
“I was told that the decision was taken way above the club, right over in Saudi Arabia, when they’re saying like listen it’s our price or no price.
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“If people don’t pay what we want he’s staying. He’s got three years left on his contract, whether he’s happy or not. He can sit in the stands all season long, this is our decision.”
PIF are showing their ambition with their Alexander Isak stance
In recent months, PIF’s commitment to Newcastle United has been questioned.
Progress off the pitch has stalled, at a time when Eddie Howe’s team have been absolutely flying on the pitch.
The Isak situation has been a chance for the Newcastle United owners to reaffirm their commitment to the club. They are not going to be pushed around by a player who wants out and are intent on doing business on the club’s terms.
That means only selling Isak if a suitable offer comes in and if a worthy replacement is found. With less than two weeks to go in the transfer market, those two conditions are unlikely to be met.
Their resistance looks likely to pay off after months of stories stating that PIF will not sell Isak. That looks likely to remain true.
During pre-season, Eddie Howe stated that PIF remain very committed to Newcastle United.
“The owners are very much engaged, as much as they always have been,” he said.
“There’s a lot going on at the football club behind the scenes to take the club forward. Whether that’s stadium related, training ground related, these things unfortunately do take time.
“There’s not a quick decision-making process that can fast-forward any quicker than they take. Obviously, I’m not in control of any of the details of that but I am part of board meetings and there’s a lot of talk about the future, they are very much here.
“They’re desperate for success and to take the club forward. This has been a challenging period where there will be a lot of different opinions on different subjects, but I can assure everybody connected with Newcastle that the owners are very much behind the project and fighting every day for the club.”