Liverpool is still waiting to complete a summer stroke for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak and the striker is expected to stay away from a prize -giving ceremony in Manchester
Newcastle -striker Alexander Isak will stay away from the PFA Awards Gala, even though it has been nominated for a top price, has been claimed. The Sweden International is gong in the race for the player of the year, but is tipped to stay away in the midst of uncertainty about his future.
Isak is supposed to have told Newcastle that he played his last game for the club, despite the magpies who have hit a bid from Liverpool. A renewed bid from Liverpool could arrive before Deadline Day, but the side of Eddie Howe is looking to add two ahead to their ranks before punishing an exit.
Isak is one of the six nominees for the Player 'Player of the Year Award – together with Bruno Fernandes, Alexis Mac Allister, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice and Mohamed Salah. According to BBC Sport, however, he did not yet have to confirm his presence during the award ceremony that barely 24 hours before the planned start time on Tuesday evening.
Last year Phil Foden won the prestigious prize during the ceremony in Manchester. The International of England was fresh to help Manchester City to win the competition with a career-high 19 goals and collected his prize personally.
The BBC report indicates that earlier winners and nominees have left it to confirm their presence. However, the broadcaster also quotes not further mentioned sources that indicate that Isak is not going to come along.
The shape of Isak last season left him early at the start of the summer transfer window. He ended the campaign with 23 goals in the competition and 27 in all competitions – both career -best figures – to help Newcastle qualify for the Champions League.
The first bid of Liverpool, worth a maximum of £ 120 million including add-ons, was rejected by Newcastle. However, the striker remains determined to leave and was omitted from manager How's Matchday Squad for the Premier League opener road to Aston Villa.
“I hope it will be solved quickly, because it is news around us all the time,” said Howe TNT Sports after the scoreless draw in Villa Park. “Players have succeeded in excluding that and to perform. We have to keep doing that. We have to cope with the story against us.”
The next game from Newcastle happens to be opposite Liverpool in St James' Park. The ruling champions did not pick up too many problems for the goal in their opener, with the new striker Hugo Ekitike on Target in a 4-2 victory over Bournemouth.
Ekitike was one of the strikers on the Shortlist of Newcastle before moving to Anfield, but the club has other options while trying to prepare for the potential loss of Isak. Yoane Wissa van Brentford and the Goncalo Ramos of Paris Saint-Germain are both monitored, and both can move to Tyneside before the transfer window closes on 1 September.