Eddie Howe has offered an update on Alexander Isak's future after confirming he will not be involved against Liverpool on Monday night
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Eddie Howe has admitted an end to the Alexander Isak transfer saga is in sight as he confirmed the wantaway striker would be absent for Newcastle United’s clash with Liverpool on Monday night. The Swede has made it clear he wants to leave the club and is currently training on his own.
Isak made headlines earlier this week when he released a statement on Instagram, moments after he was confirmed as being named in the PFA's Team of the Year for last season, insisting that his Newcastle career was over, citing broken promises behind the scenes.
That was followed by a Newcastle statement later that night expressing disappointment in his actions and claiming he would be likely to stay put at St James' Park.
Liverpool had a £110m bid rejected by the Magpies earlier this month and are understood to be ready to return to the table should they be given encouragement from the North East that a deal could be possible.
And with the Reds travelling to St. James’ Park on Monday night, Howe has confirmed that Isak will again be absent as he offered an update on the striker’s future.
"The club has to act in the best interests of Newcastle United. It will do that in every situation," Howe said at his pre-match press conference. "I think it is a lose/lose situation to a degree for us because I don’t think we can come out of this winning in any situation.
"And that’s why I’ve said all summer it’s a difficult situation for the club to manage. We love Alex in the sense of what he’s done for the football club since he’s been here, what he’s contributed, what he’s given, how professional he’s been.
"This has just been an unfortunate few months. It looks like it is coming to an end, or it will come to an end pretty quickly and then we can focus on the football again.
“There has been no change. No, he won’t be part of the squad for this weekend’s game. My preference for these things is it doesn’t happen publicly because I think everything is better dealt with behind closed doors.
“But needs must and this situation the club has spoken, and probably justifiably so in that moment.”
Meanwhile, Howe also reiterated his desire for Isak to still be reintegrated back into the Newcastle squad.
“Yeah, of course (I still hope he can be reintegrated into the squad),” he said. “He’s contracted to us, he’s our player.
“My wish is that he would be playing on Monday night with us. But he won’t be and that is regrettable at this moment. But 100%, I want to see him back in a Newcastle shirt.
“I think that’s probably a conversation for another day (how do you integrate Isak). At the moment, that is not an option for us.
“Rather than talk hypotheticals, I’d rather talk when we get there, when we get to that point.
“Then of course we’ll enter that phase and see what we need to do to try and get the best for Alex, get the best for the team, which is always the priority.
“But until that point, I think we’re best focusing on the players we have available for the next game.”