What did Eddie Howe mean by 'an end' when talking about Alexander Isak - there if a feeling the wheels will start to move on his exit after Monday's clash is out of the way
Lee Ryder follows Newcastle United home and away as our Chief Newcastle United Writer. Lee has reported on the Magpies from China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Russia, Ukraine, and across Europe. Covered England at Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
Alexander Isak arrives at a stadium
Alexander Isak is looking for a move away from Newcastle(Image: Alex Livesey, Getty Images)
In an intense summer that has been dominated by missed tours, unboarded flights, groin injury relevaltions and unsatisfactory reconciliation talks between Eddie Howe and Alexander Isak the saga is finally showing signs of an ending - albeit a potentially "sad" one.
It was Howe himself who described the fallout of one of the hottest transfer episodes in club history as a "sad situation" today as he ponders life without the Sweden international.
Isak could still stay in theory, but even then, it would leave Howe with a player who doesn't want to be here. If, say £130m is being bandied around next week, it feels like it makes no sense to pass up on an opportunity to make a record sale.
In business terms, what Newcastle's main backers PIF will look at the most, paying a footballer £120,000 per week to train alone and not contribute on the field and sell no shirts off it, has no logic whatsoever.
And the end? Well, that could be nigh for Isak.
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Howe said on Friday: "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."
Of course, with a September 1 deadline day fast approaching, there will be a natural conclusion to all of this before we know it.
As Howe took his seat at Benton today, he made a telling statement: "It looks like it is coming to an end, or it will come to an end pretty quickly."
It was a rare moment in which Howe let his guard down ever so slightly, but the word from insiders - at both ends of the deal - is that everything post-Monday night feels significant.
Newcastle were never going to gift Liverpool their prized striker and then watch on as Isak made his debut in red against the Magpies at St James' Park.
And there is a feeling at the Anfield end that there was always going to be a follow up to the bid of around £110m which was launched at the start of this month, however, it was hardly going to come in the build-up to the Reds' visit to St James' Park.
But it could well hit us soon with the window's closure in sight and industry insiders expecting Liverpool to strike with one last bid for the Sweden star.
Will it come with enough time for Newcastle to knock back a second bid, then hope for a third? That appears to be the danger, but let's say Isak is sold by the middle or end of next week, it would leave Newcastle with just enough time to buy his replacement.
Howe was asked by Chronicle Live whether a replacement was on the cards as well as whether Isak could be sold and nobody comes in but told us: "I don't think the club will allow that situation to happen."
Is that a better situation than having an unhappy striker on their hands? A player coming in who wants to play and the departure of a star who has now made his feelings crystal clear via a public statement earlier this week?
Can Isak really stay after his power-keg Instagram move last week? As Yohan Cabaye showed in the Alan Pardew era, after missing out on a move to Arsenal, anything is possible.
But this feels more toxic than even the Cabaye affair; this feels like we have reached the point of no return.
Isak has been clear with his words that he does not want to stay any longer and Newcastle have a contracted player on their hands with his value poised drop the minute the transfer window is shut.
When Howe talks about the end, he knows deep down inside that Isak's last gasp attempt to get a move could well have proved to be a success.
There's still time for people to be proved right and wrong in this exhausting summer transfer story that has gathered pace throughout a long, hard summer.
But as Howe pointed out, "an end" certainly feels like it's in sight. A replacement is surely lined up, but what happens after the clash with Liverpool on Monday night will be intriguing.