Howe Insists Newcastle Will Not Be Left Without A Striker In Event Of Isak Exit

Newcastle’s owners will not time off nan head Eddie Howe without a recognised elder striker arsenic nan Alexander Isak saga rumbles into nan last fewer days of nan summertime transportation window.

The St James’ Park level has to day remained patient amid Liverpool’s attempts to prise nan 25-year-old Sweden world retired of nan club, aided by nan player’s stated volition to leave.

However, pinch Callum Wilson having already near and nary motion of a replacement arriving – Brentford’s Yoane Wissa presently remains stubbornly beyond Howe’s grasp pinch João Pedro, Hugo Ekitiké and Benjamin Sesko having already slipped done it – Newcastle find themselves successful a difficult situation.

Asked astir nan imaginable of losing Isak without a caller enlistee successful place, Howe said: “I don’t deliberation nan nine will let that business to happen. We surely can’t spell done nan play pinch nary recognised striker astatine nan shot nine – and that’s nary disrespect to Will Osula.

“I deliberation he’s doing really good and he’s progressing really well, but he’s sewage constricted acquisition successful nan Premier League, though I’m really happy pinch his profession progression.

“But Alex astatine nan infinitesimal would beryllium nan only striker we person pinch Premier League history of goals and appearances and starts, truthful we can’t time off ourselves successful that position.”

The 22-year-old Osula has not started a Premier League crippled since his £10m presence from Sheffield United past summer, and it was near to Anthony Gordon to statement up successful a mostly unaccustomed cardinal domiciled successful past weekend’s 0-0 tie astatine Aston Villa, 1 he is apt to reprise against Liverpool connected Monday evening.

Asked really challenging it is for Gordon to play arsenic a No 9, thing he did to awesome effect successful England’s 2023 European Under-21 Championship-winning team, Howe said: “He’s an attacker and he’s a very bully attacker.

“The beauty of Anthony erstwhile we signed him was he tin play right, near and perchance down nan middle, thing that he has done before. He’s done it for England, truthful it’s not thing wholly caller to him.

“I don’t deliberation anyone tin capable Alex’s boots and Anthony will cognize that himself. He’s not trying to beryllium Alex, he’s sewage to beryllium himself. If he’d scored against Aston Villa, you’d go, ‘that’s nan cleanable No 9 performance’. I deliberation he had 7 shots successful nan game, he looked a threat, he sewage a man sent off.

“He was utilizing his qualities, which are his gait and his dribbling skills, truthful I thought it was a really bully capacity from him. Yes, of people we were missing nan extremity from nan team’s wide performance, but hopefully those will come.”