Newcastle United have told star striker Alexander Isak that he will not be leaving the club this summer — even though he really wants to join Liverpool.
Liverpool tried to sign the 24-year-old Sweden striker with a huge £110 million offer, but Newcastle’s Saudi-backed owners quickly said “No way!” and rejected it. They have made it clear all summer that Isak is not for sale.
The decision has made Isak very upset. According to The Telegraph, coach Eddie Howe has now told him to train away from the rest of the team until things calm down. This is not the first time Isak has trained alone — he also did the same at his old club, Real Sociedad, during Newcastle’s pre-season tour in Asia.
Right now, Isak is back at the training ground, but Howe says he won’t be with the main team for their first Premier League match against Aston Villa.
“We’d love him to be with us… but I don’t think the situation will change before the Villa game,” Howe said.
Reports say Newcastle have offered Isak a new contract that could have a release clause, meaning he might be able to leave next summer.
Even though the club is still looking for another striker, they are sticking to their word — Isak is staying put. Liverpool already knew Newcastle’s strong stance before they even made their bid.
To make things worse for Newcastle, they have already missed out on signing other striker targets like Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko.
For now, the Magpies hope they can settle things with Isak and bring him back into the squad soon.
