Image Credits: Imago Images
Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak has been the subject of intense transfer interest from Liverpool this summer.
The 25-year-old has not featured for the club or trained with the first team as his future remains unresolved.
Liverpool made a £110million bid for Isak, while also signing Hugo Ekitike, who had been strongly linked with Newcastle as a potential replacement for the Sweden international.
Since the end of last season, Isak has stayed away from first-team training, continuing to train separately while his transfer situation remains uncertain.
Last Tuesday, Isak released a statement on Instagram, declaring that “change is in the best interests of everyone.”
Newcastle responded firmly, stating that “no commitment” was ever made by club officials to sanction his departure this summer, further intensifying the standoff between player and club.
Speaking on Friday about Isak’s future, Howe said: “These situations are from ideal as in talking press-wise and a lot of the attention has gone onto that rather than the team and our preparation.
“As soon as I leave here, I’m back preparing, taking training, delivering meetings, speaking to individual players, trying to get the group in the best frame of mind possible, so the job changes. Just the outside perception is one that is totally different to normal.
“The club has to act in the best interests of Newcastle United. It will do that in every situation. 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.”
According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle co-owner Jamie Reuben, alongside a PIF delegation, visited Alexander Isak at his home in a bid to persuade the striker to remain at the club and rejoin Eddie Howe’s squad.
The club want the Swedish striker to return to training and playing after his strike, with a new contract potentially on the table if he commits this season.
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