‘Eddie Howe’s attempt to pressure Alexander Isak over Newcastle stay fails’
Eddie Howe’s bid to get Alexander Isak to stay at Newcastle has apparently failed with the Swede now exploring his options to leave the club.
Isak’s Newcastle exit saga has waged on for most of the summer window so far, but things have ramped up in the last few days following major news out of both Liverpool and St James’ Park.
The Swedish international striker has shone for the Magpies in the last few years, with 23 goals and six assists last season to fire them to a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League and glory in the Carabao Cup.
It was reported on 15 July that Liverpool had made contact with Newcastle to gauge their willingness to sell Isak this summer, yet the Reds have now signed Magpies target Hugo Ekitike as they aim to retain their Premier League crown.
Liverpool are preparing a bid of £130million for Isak, as revealed by Football Insider, while their interest has reportedly “unsettled” the Swede at Newcastle, and even though Howe looked to be trying to pressure his star man into staying at St James’ Park, his attempts have seemingly failed following major new developments.
Isak wants to leave Newcastle despite Howe’s defiance
Isak was left out of the squad for the Magpies’ pre-season fixture against Celtic on Saturday (19 July), and despite rumours of unrest after the game, Howe assured fans that he “absolutely” expected the 25-year-old to join his teammates on their tour of Asia.
Despite his defiance and confidence, Isak has not travelled to Singapore with Newcastle on Thursday (24 July), and according to The Times, he has turned down Newcastle United’s attempts to get him to commit his future to the club and is now exploring his options to leave.
They state that negotiations to make him the best-paid player in the club’s history have so far failed, as he is seeking a new deal worth around £300,000 a week.
A recent report from The i has suggested that rebelling isn’t in Isak’s nature, as he is known to be a relaxed and laidback character, while he is also said to be “grateful” to Howe for the work he has done in training to help improve his game since his 2022 move from Real Sociedad.
It certainly looks as if Howe was hoping to play on that, attempting to get Isak to comply and commit to staying at the club, with his comments in the media about the Swede definitely being set to join his teammates on tour.
But if that was the manager’s plan then it has not worked, as the 25-year-old now looks closer to the Magpies exit door than ever before.
Newcastle should only sell Isak for £150m
Newcastle’s recent successes under Howe have been headed by the firepower of their Swedish international striker, who has netted over 20 goals in each of his previous two league campaigns.
Isak is understandably untouchable in the transfer market as far as Newcastle are concerned this summer, but any bid that reaches £150m, considering the £63m [BBC] they spent to sign him in 2022, will surely be entertained due to their circumstances.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 109 | 62 | 11 |
Newcastle’s owners have insisted that they will not be bullied by Liverpool this summer, and even now that Isak is looking to leave St James’ Park, they should only sell for what they feel is right rather than be lowballed due to him being unsettled.
The Swede currently has three years left on his contract, so the Magpies do not have to sell him by any means, but if a bid of £150m comes in, then that is too good to turn down for pretty much any player on the planet, and he is no exception.