Eddie Howe has confirmed that Alexander Isak will play no part in Newcastle United’s upcoming clash with Liverpool, as the striker’s transfer saga edges toward a conclusion.
Speaking ahead of Monday night’s fixture at St. James’ Park, the Newcastle head coach admitted the club faces a difficult situation with the Sweden international, who has been training alone after making clear his desire to leave.
Earlier this week, Isak took to Instagram shortly after being named in the PFA Team of the Year, declaring his time at Newcastle was over and citing “broken promises” behind the scenes. His outburst drew a firm response from the club, which issued a statement expressing its disappointment and stressing that he remained under contract.
Liverpool, who saw a £110m bid rejected earlier in the window, are monitoring developments closely and are expected to return with an improved offer if Newcastle show any willingness to negotiate.
Addressing the issue in his pre-match press conference, Howe admitted the circumstances had left Newcastle in a no-win situation:
“The club has to act in the best interests of Newcastle United. It will do that in every situation. I think it is a lose/lose situation to a degree for us because I don’t think we can come out of this winning in any situation.”
With uncertainty over Isak’s future and Liverpool visiting on Monday, all eyes will be on how Newcastle handle their star forward in what could be the decisive week of the transfer sage
