‘Alexander Isak stay not guaranteed after Newcastle contract set backs’
Newcastle United could yet face heartbreak over Alexander Isak’s future at St James’ Park as a new contract update emerges this summer.
The Swedish star is under contract until the summer of 2028, and with 62 goals and 10 assists in 109 appearances since joining three years ago, supporters will be hoping for him to see it out.
Football Insider understands that Newcastle remain confident over keeping Isak after securing Champions League football last season, but there is certainly enough time for that to change.
He was an incredibly-key part of the Magpies securing a top-five finish in the Premier League, only netting fewer goals than Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, and Eddie Howe will want to keep him for the foreseeable future.
With that in mind, those behind the scenes need to quickly come up with a solution for the superstar’s current contract situation before his frustrations become too much to handle.
Newcastle United risk Alexander Isak exit
According to the Daily Mail‘s Craig Hope (8 July), while the Magpies will offer the newly vacant No.9 shirt to Isak following Callum Wilson‘s exit, there is no guarantee that the striker will take it.
The club are extremely keen to keep the Swedish star, but complications have emerged with the player’s contract, with Isak on a lower wage than he could earn elsewhere for the last 12 months.
This becomes difficult because the 25-year-old was expecting to be handed a new deal before talks where shelved a year ago, and while departing CEO Darren Eales revealed that talks would continue at the end of the season, no major progress has been made yet.
While it is believed that Isak is not “unhappy” at St James’ Park, the goalscoring star is earning a wage below his market value, and is still very much wanted by Liverpool if £150million can be found.
So while Newcastle are clear Isak is not for sale his departure is not seen as completely impossible, and Hope’s own view is that the Swede will likely remain for another season without signing a new deal that locks his best years to the club, unless they were able to lift the title.
Eddie Howe to keep squad together for 2025/26 campaign
Football Insider verdict
Howe is in the process of building an incredible squad at St James’ Park, one that has already broken a 70-year drought by beating Liverpool to the Carabao Cup at Wembley Stadium.
That moment will go down in history for the Magpies, but that is no reason for the club to stop growing, shelter its ambitions, and allow their star players to leave just because big-money bids arrive.
The former Bournemouth manager will want his side to aim to win the Champions League next season, not just attempt to get out of the group stage, and supporters will be behind the team fully.
However, losing Isak would be a tremendous blow, and one that would send the Magpies back in terms of development, with the Sweden international incredibly difficult to replace.
Anthony Elanga appears set to join Newcastle from Nottingham Forest in the coming days, and while several players are being linked with exits, the club will be keen to keep the squad together.
Selling any current starting players would be a huge setback for those at St James’ Park, and certainly very frustrating as the Magpies prepare for a Champions League campaign.