Alexander Isak was absent in the Newcastle team that was defeated by Celtic on Saturday in a pre -season -friendly -and Eddie Howe clarified when he was omitted
Eddie Howe has tried to clarify the situation around Alexander Isak after he had missed the Newcastle in the presences against Celtic on Saturday. Isak was striking because of his absence when Newcastle was beaten 4-0 by the Scottish champions in Glasgow.
The Swedish striker is the subject of transfer interest from Liverpool, where the Premier League champions think a bid of £ 120 million earlier this week. Since then they have moved to Hugo Ekitike – a Newcastle player was rejected a bid of £ 70 million – and have faith in the Eintracht Frankfurt star.
Nevertheless, there is some doubt about the future of Isak in St James' Park, and the fears were raised on Saturday among fans when the name of Isak was absent in the team to be confronted against Celtic. He was omitted next to Joelinton and Howe did his best to suppress speculation after the game, although he only succeeded in blowing the flames.
Newcastle said before the game that Isak was omitted to manage his minutes after the team trained in Austria and before they went to Singapore. But Howe's answer after the Celtic Thrashing showed an interim.
“I chose to send him home,” he said. “The last thing Alex wants if he doesn't play is to be in the stands and under that investigation, if he didn't play today, we agreed that he should not be here.
“It was my decision. He traveled with us back to Glasgow, but I decided to send him home because of the speculation around him. [Joelinton and Isak] His fit but not ready to play. Alex has trained and is fine, but we did not want to take the risk with him. “
Howe said that there had been 'no formal approach' from Liverpool about a transfer for Isak, but revealed that he had spoken with the 25-year-old.
“Yes, I have had conversations with him, but that is not abnormal,” he added. “I respect the career of a player and how short it is. Alex has been really good, he is really well trained and I realize that there will be noise around him.”
One thing is clear: Newcastle is desperate to keep their star striker, which in 2022 participated in a club record £ 63 million of Real Sociedad. “We have some of those players who are irreplaceable,” said Howe.
“Your top players are so hard to find, so hard to recruit and so hard to develop. So if you have them, you have to cherish them. Of course we are desperate to keep him as part of our team.
“I think it is difficult for me to ever give 100 percent clarity to every player, I would never do that. The only thing I can say is that Alex is happy at Newcastle, he loves the players, the staff, the team. I have never had a problem with him and I am convinced that he will be here at the start of the season.”