Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has again spoken on the future of Liverpool target Alexander Isak, admitting he would be “very silly” to guarantee he stays.
Newcastle are insistent that Isak is not for sale, but the message around his future appears to have changed after the weekend.
Left out of a 4-0 friendly loss to Celtic on Saturday, Howe conceded that he had omitted Isak due to the ongoing speculation over his future, while the Telegraph‘s Mike McGrath later indicated £150 million would be enough to complete a deal.
And speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, Howe further admitted he would be “very silly” to guarantee the Swede stays this summer.
“I don’t think we really have a position other than we love him as a player, we love him as a person, and we want him to stay,” he explained.
“I’d never give that guarantee”
“That is reciprocated right through the club. He’s an outstanding talent, made a big difference to us since he signed, so he’s a player that we cherish really.
“I think everyone connected with Newcastle is keen, or more than keen, that he continues his journey with us.
“It’s a great season ahead and hopefully one that Alex will be part of.”
• READ: How Ekitike and Isak compare – finishing, chance creation & more
Asked if he could be certain of Isak being a Newcastle player by the time they visit Aston Villa to kick off the Premier League campaign, Howe said: “I’d never give that guarantee to anybody.
“I’ve been in football long enough to know that I could end up looking very silly, so I won’t do that.
“But I will say is that I think the desire from everybody and me included to keep him is as strong as it could be.
“So fingers crossed that will happen for us.”
Questioned on the speculation around Isak and how he feels his No. 14 has dealt with it, the manager said: “I think for any player that is not an easy thing to deal with, it’s not an easy thing to understand sometimes.
“You’re fielding, no doubt from his perspective, phone calls, text messages, players and people asking him, all sorts, because the media now is so strong.
“The media message goes far and wide, so I don’t think it’s easy for any player to be under that scrutiny, and that’s in part, like 10 percent, of the reason why he wasn’t [at Celtic].
“Because I just want him to focus on himself and his training and being ready for next week.”
Next week brings Newcastle‘s own tour of Asia, and to conclude Howe was asked if he expects Isak to join his squad in Singapore and South Korea.
“Absolutely. He’s part of our squad and at this moment in time I expect him to come,” he replied.
Isak remains a target for Liverpool in the event he becomes available this summer, seemingly despite their imminent signing of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.
While bringing both Ekitike and Isak to the club in the same window – for upwards of £200 million – seems farfetched, it is certainly not impossible given the changes in Arne Slot‘s attack.
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