Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes: I’ve had no contact with Alexander Isak | OneFootball

Bruno Guimaraes says he has had no contact with his Newcastle team-mate Alexander Isak throughout the stand-off between the Swede and the club.

Isak is training alone at Newcastle, having indicated his desire to leave the club despite having three years left on his contract.

The club have rejected one offer of £110million for Isak from Liverpool and are believed to want a British record £150m.

In the meantime, Newcastle are working to recruit new attacking players but the PA news agency understands an improved second bid of £55million for Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen has been rejected.

Magpies captain Guimaraes says it is a “tough situation” for all concerned.

“I haven’t had any contact with him,” Guimaraes told ESPN Brasil.

“We’ve been training in the mornings, and he trains at a different time, when no-one from the team is around.

“As captain, and for us players, it’s a tough situation because we want to have the best players with us. That’s something we can’t control. The club, the management, the owners are dealing with it, and I hope it gets sorted out in the best way.

“We’re really missing our striker, a player who scored more than 20 goals in the Premier League last season, so of course he’s someone we feel the absence of.

“We hope to have our best player back. But unfortunately, this is a situation that neither I nor any other player can control.”

It is understood Wolves do not see Strand Larsen as being for sale at any price, so the Magpies may need to look elsewhere in their striker search. They have also been heavily linked with Brentford’s Yoane Wissa.

Isak is set to feature for Sweden next month after being selected in the squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Kosovo on September 5 and 8.

Sweden coach Jon Dahl Tomasson said: “I am very happy that Alexander Isak wants to be in the squad, he is a huge player.

“The situation he is in is not perfect and he has not trained with the team. But he is a player who can decide matches and he wants to be part of our squad. The World Cup is important for Alexander Isak.”

Isak has been training alone since missing Newcastle’s pre-season tour to Singapore and South Korea.

Isak issued a statement on August 20 in which he said: “When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue.

“That’s where things are for me right now – and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself.”

Newcastle said in response: “We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer.”

It has been reported a club delegation has since met with Isak, but his position of wanting to leave remains unchanged.

One outgoing Newcastle have sanctioned is Matt Targett’s departure on loan to Middlesbrough, which was confirmed on Wednesday.