Eddie Howe cut a frustrated figure this week as the stand-off between Newcastle United and Alexander Isak deepened.
The Swedish striker has been training away from the first team and will miss Monday night’s clash against Liverpool, the very club he is pushing to join.
“This is a lose-lose situation,” Howe admitted. “It’s far from ideal for both parties.”
The row erupted earlier this month when Liverpool lodged a £110 million bid for the 25-year-old. Newcastle rejected it. Soon after, Isak released a statement claiming the club had broken promises made when he joined from Real Sociedad in 2022. He believed he would be allowed to leave if a Champions League side came in with a substantial offer. Newcastle insist no such agreement exists.
Since then, Isak has been isolated from the squad. He sat out Newcastle’s season opener and, according to Howe, has not been seen at regular training sessions. “I haven’t seen him this week,” Howe said. “When we bump into each other, we speak as normal, but he’s been training separately.”
The uncertainty leaves Newcastle in a bind. The transfer window closes on 1 September, and Howe admits he has “no way of knowing” what will happen before then.
Supporters have already turned on the striker, with chants criticising him heard during last week’s defeat to Aston Villa. Yet Howe remains convinced Isak could still be welcomed back.
“My wish is that he would be playing on Monday night,” Howe said. “But he won’t be, and that’s regrettable. If Alex wanted to come back and play for us, the players would welcome him. He’s a fantastic player and a good person.”
For now, though, one of Newcastle’s most valuable assets finds himself in limbo—caught between a club that refuses to sell and a manager who, despite the turmoil, still hopes to see him in black and white again.
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