After official Newcastle United update on Alexander Isak – This appears to be the position now | OneFootball

After the official club update on Alexander Isak, where does that leave us?

That official Newcastle United update delivered by Eddie Howe.

Who else would it be???

As everything is left to Eddie Howe, all the responsibility. Nobody else high up in the Newcastle United hierarchy giving the team boss a helping hand, nobody at all speaking on behalf of the club, apart from the mercurial Head Coach.

Eddie Howe asked (see below) after the Espanyol friendly about the Alexander Isak situation, quizzed on whether the Sweden international has a future (or not) at Newcastle United.

After hearing what Eddie Howe had to say, this is what the position appears to be now:

Firstly, I think for sure that when meeting this week, Alexander Isak has told Eddie Howe that his preference is still to move to another club (which we all assume to be Liverpool, as they are the only ones to make a bid (even though a derisory £110m) and no others clubs appear to have made an approach in the last week).

Secondly, I also believe that quite clearly no acceptable offer has been made by any club that meets the Newcastle United valuation on Alexander Isak. Again, just that laughable £110m Liverpool offer for a player NUFC are widely reported to value at £150m+.

Third and lastly, Newcastle United haven’t bought a striker this summer, so far.

Conclusions

It appears to be stalemate at present.

Even if you believe Newcastle United would sell Alexander Isak. For that to happen, there has to first be an acceptable amount of money AND a replacement striker in place.

I don’t think any chance of the club selling unless BOTH of these things occur in advance.

Liverpool are deluded, if they honestly think they can get Alexander Isak on the cheap, by taking advantage of the situation that has presented itself. Or rather, the situation they are responsible for. As stated by others, if Liverpool had wanted to do things properly and definitely wanted to sign Isak this summer. They absolutely knew they should have made a proper professional approach when last season ended, then made a credible offer. To instead wait two months before then their first formal approach and £110m offer to Newcastle United, this is why we are where we are now.

I think there is very much a massive chance Alexander Isak will still be at Newcastle United after the transfer window closes. That closes at 7pm on Monday 1 September, with 23 days to go until that window closes, I just don’t believe Liverpool are going to make a proper offer. They are intent on getting Alexander Isak on the cheap, maybe they will go up to £120m but that obviously is nowhere near to United’s valuation. They are counting on the Newcastle United owners and Eddie Howe feeling it is impossible to keep a striker who has said he wants to join another club. If they do think that, Liverpool are badly wrong.

No way Newcastle will allow themselves to be bullied into such a deal. Whilst there are plenty of examples in the past of other clubs/players in this situation, including the much quoted Harry Kane case, where he wanted to leave Spurs in summer 2020, summer 2021 and summer 2022. They refused to sell their best player and goalscorer until summer 2023 when Kane was 30 and had just one year left on his contract, aged 30, Spurs sold Kane for £100m to Bayern Munich. The idea that two years later Newcastle will be bullied into accepting £110m for a 25 year old Alexander Isak who still has three years remaining on his contract…you are having a laugh.

Yoane Wissa looks set to arrive shortly but he is a replacement for Callum Wilson, not Alexander Isak. United were always going to add a second striker, so it will be Isak, or another (not Wissa) who replaces him, who will be seen as NUFC’s top striker next season.

Finally…

So as things stand, I see one of two things as the most likely outcomes.

First potential outcome – After the first three Premier League matches we reach September, the transfer window closes and there is an international break. Following that international break, if Alexander Isak is still at Newcastle he will return to group training and available for team selection.

Second potential outcome – At some point before we get to September, Liverpool admit that they have been wasting the time of everybody concerned, especially Alexander Isak. The scousers, even if only in private, making clear to Isak/Newcastle that they won’t be making a credible offer to try and sign the striker. Then a case of Eddie Howe allowing Alexander Isak back into group training, almost certainly combined with a big group meeting with all players present, Howe telling them the situation and that a line has been drawn under it. Time now to get back to some kind of ‘normal’ and out this Alexander Isak summer mess behind us all, for the good of the club and the fans (and themselves as players).

Eddie Howe asked on Friday night if Alexander Isak has a future at Newcastle United:

“He is here, so of course he has a future at Newcastle.

“So, certainly from our perspective, everyone connected with the club, we would love to see him back with the team.

“But the situation has to be right for that to happen.

“He’s here and he’s contracted to us, so as long as he’s in that position, there is, of course, a chance that he could play for Newcastle again. But I don’t know what the future will hold.

“I’d want Alex to be playing today.

“I’d want him training tomorrow.

“We would love the player to be with us. Let me make that absolutely clear, there’s no part of me that doesn’t want that outcome.

“But I don’t see that changing before the Aston Villa game.

“We’ve had discussions and it’s clear at the moment that we can’t involve him with the group.

“I don’t know how long that will be for. That’s the latest. I think I’d rather just leave it with that line.

“I think the discussions between us have to remain private. But it’s clear I can’t involve him with the team.

“I think the group’s been disrupted, of course, but I think whenever you have a player in this situation, it’s unsettling for the team.

“I don’t think we’ve been in that position since I’ve been here. The harmony and togetherness of the group has been at its highest.

“So I think naturally it’s just been a topic of conversation. It’s been a distraction and I think the biggest sort of hit we’ve taken is we’re not blessed with a number of players in his position. So I think you’ve seen a big gap.

“But I have to say big credit to the players because they’ve got on with their work. The training has been at a really high level. I haven’t seen a negative output on the pitch. But I have been aware of feeling around the group that there’s something there that’s not to the benefit of the group.”