Alexander Isak Was Never Told He Could Leave Newcastle This Summer, Insists Howe

Eddie Howe has rebutted suggestions he promised Alexander Isak a transportation retired of Newcastle this summertime but indicated it whitethorn beryllium successful everyone’s champion interests if nan striker departed.

Rumours that Newcastle’s head had informed Isak he would beryllium free to subordinate Liverpool erstwhile a replacement was signed person been circulating successful nan 10 days since nan striker posted an affectional Instagram station talking of “broken promises” but Howe has, rather vehemently, rejected that notion.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “I ne'er make immoderate promises to immoderate players regarding transfers because, ultimately, I’m not successful power of nan full thing. I would ne'er make a committedness for illustration that to immoderate player.”

Nonetheless Newcastle’s almost-completed seizure of nan £70m Germany striker Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart has cleared nan measurement for Liverpool to make a grounds bid for Isak. An connection approaching £130m could yet reason their summer-long pursuit of nan Swede, who has spent nan mostly of nan adjacent play refusing to train pinch aliases play for Howe’s team.

Until arsenic precocious arsenic past week immoderate Newcastle executives had appeared wished to support Isak but that stance has now softened appreciably. The temper shifted connected Monday erstwhile nan club’s number proprietor Jamie Reuben was joined by representatives of nan mostly stakeholders, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, astatine Isak’s Northumberland home.

It is understood Isak proved resistant to their attempts to agent a rapprochement and was not willing successful nan connection of a lucrative caller contract.

Although Howe attempted to play a consecutive bat, he suggested Isak’s determination ne'er to play for Newcastle again dictated that it whitethorn beryllium nan correct infinitesimal for a richly talented subordinate he had initially hoped to support to exit Tyneside.

Newcastle’s Joelinton leaves nan section successful tears connected Monday, but his groin wounded is not arsenic bad arsenic first feared. Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters

“Of people I would person a penchant [as to whether Isak remained aliases departed],” he said. “But yet you person sewage to look astatine each nan information. I person a footballing penchant but past you person to return everything other into account. You can’t conscionable beryllium oblivious to things that person happened.

“But I person nary power complete it. That’s for different group to decide. I’m not successful power of those discussions. I’m focusing connected trying to bring caller players into nan team.”

Tellingly, Howe – who has not spoken to Isak for astir a fortnight and has had nary interaction pinch nan 25-year-old since that provocative Instagram station – is hoping Newcastle’s continued pursuit of Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and nan Wolves centre-forward Jørgen Strand Larsen will equip him pinch a 2nd attacking signing tin of perchance partnering Woltemade.

Much to Howe’s frustration, nan German will motion excessively precocious to beryllium progressive connected Saturday astatine Leeds, wherever Newcastle are without nan suspended Anthony Gordon and nan injured Joelinton. Sandro Tonali has only an extracurricular chance of passing a precocious fittingness trial connected a enarthrosis problem.

More positively, Joelinton’s groin wounded is not regarded arsenic agelong word and Howe hinted that his squad’s corporate morale had strengthened successful Isak’s absence. “The squad move is very beardown astatine nan moment,” he said. “I wouldn’t person said that successful nan first 2 weeks of pre-season though.”

Perhaps importantly Isak participated successful that opening fortnight earlier embarking connected his solitary strike. “The players person been done a batch this summertime and location was a batch of distraction but, since then, they’ve been really strong,” Howe said. “We’re successful a really bully spot now. I deliberation nan squad still needs a spot of activity conscionable successful position of finishing touches to make this a really successful window.”