Newcastle in a lose-lose-situation with Isak stand-off with wantaway striker intent on forcing through summer transfer.
Howe accepts Isak saga at Newcastle leaves club in ‘lose-lose’ situation.
Eddie Howe has called Alexander Isak’s confrontation with Newcastle a “sad moment” and said that it has put the team in a “lose-lose situation.”
When Newcastle takes on Liverpool, the team the Sweden striker has been pushing to join all summer, Isak will once more not play at St. James’ Park on Monday night. Since Tuesday night, when a player who is currently training alone posted an Instagram message about “broken promises,” a “loss of trust,” and a relationship that “could not continue,” Howe claimed he has not spoken to Isak all week.
“I don’t think we can come out of this winning in any situation,” said Howe, well aware that, come 2 September, Isak will either remain in the north-east against his wishes or will have departed amid considerable acrimony. “I think it’s a lose-lose situation, to a degree, for us.”
In response to Isak’s Instagram post, Newcastle released a statement of their own, highlighting their desire to retain a player with three years left on his contract while perhaps leaving the possibility of a transfer with Liverpool open. However, in order for Isak to join Anfield during this transfer window, Howe would have to acquire two new strikers, and Newcastle would have to pay a sum that falls between their £150 million asking price and the £110 million offer that Liverpool has already rejected.
“It’s a sad moment,” reflected Howe as he anxiously awaited developments in Newcastle’s pursuit of Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, Wolves’s Jørgen Strand Larsen and Atlético Madrid’s Alexander Sørloth. “These things being made public doesn’t reflect well on us, or Alex. It’s been an unfortunate few months that looks like it will come to an end pretty quickly.” Not that Newcastle’s manager seems remotely clear on how, precisely, the saga will be resolved. “I’m not a fortune teller,” he added. “I’ve got no way of knowing what will happen in the next few days. But he’s contracted to us, he’s our player.”