Alexander Isak to board flight this week with stance over Liverpool transfer made clear

Alexander Isak to board flight this week with stance over Liverpool transfer made clear

Alexander Isak was left out of the Newcastle United squad for their pre-season friendly defeat to Celtic on Saturday, with speculation surrounding his future and a possible transfer having continued

Alexander Isak is garnering plenty interest this summer, especially from Liverpool (Image: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images )

Alexander Isak may have missed part of Newcastle United's pre-season preparation due to transfer speculation, but the Swedish forward now looks set to board a flight this week. Eddie Howe confirmed the striker was left out of the squad which lost to Celtic.

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However, he will join the team in the Far East this week, clarifying the club's stance that Isak is still not for sale. The Premier League hitman has been garnering plenty of interest following his 27-goal season for the Magpies, with Liverpool one of the clubs reportedly considering spending £120million to secure his services.

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However, Liverpool are now on the brink of signing Hugo Ekitike – who Newcastle themselves had targeted – in a deal worth up to £79m from Eintracht Frankfurt, casting some doubt on their pursuit of Isak.

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Meanwhile, Howe confirmed to BBC Radio Newcastle that Isak would join the squad for their pre-season tour of the Far East, making it totally clear they expect the striker to remain at St James Park this season.

"Yes, absolutely. He's part of our squad," Howe said ahead of Sunday's clash with Arsenal in Singapore. "At this moment in time, I expect him to come.

"I'd never give a guarantee about anybody [staying] because I've been in football long enough to know I could end up looking silly. But, the desire from everybody to keep him is as strong as it could be. Fingers crossed that will happen for us.

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"We love him as a player and a person and want him to stay – and that is right through the club. He's an outstanding talent and a player we cherish. I think for any player speculation's not an easy thing to deal with, and not an easy thing to understand, when you're fielding calls and messages from players and people asking you all sorts.

Alexander Isak will join up with the rest of the Newcastle squad this week (Image: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images )

"The media now is so strong and the media message goes far and wide. I don't think it's easy for any player to be under that scrutiny and that's part – 10 per cent – of the reason why he wasn't here today. I just want him to focus on himself and his training and being ready for next week."

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Howe stated he left Isak out of the squad which faced Celtic on Saturday due to ongoing transfer speculation. Speaking post-match, he said: "It was purely the last thing Alex wants if he's not playing is to be sat in the stand.

"Being under that scrutiny, I don't think that's fair to the player. If he wasn't going to play today, which we agreed, mutually agreed that he needs a little bit more training time, then it's best he's not here. I chose to send him home. The last thing Alex wants if he is not playing is to be sat in the stand and under that scrutiny, then if he wasn't going to play today, we mutually agreed he shouldn't be here.

"It was my decision. He travelled back to Glasgow with us, but I decided to send him home due to the speculation around him. Both [Joelinton and Isak] are fit but not ready to play. Alex has trained and is fine but we didn't want to take the risk with him.

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"Yes, I've had discussions with him, but that's not abnormal. I respect a player's career and how short it is. Alex has been really good, he's trained really well and I realise there'll be noise around him."

Eddie Howe is adamant that Isak is not for sale (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images )

The 47-year-old confirmed there had been "no formal approach" for Isak, adding that the club is hoping to keep the forward for the foreseeable future. Howe added: "I think it's difficult for me to give 100% clarity on any player. I'd never sit here and do that because it's football and you never know what can happen. All I can say is that Alex is happy at Newcastle. He loves the players that he plays with, the staff, the team.

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"I've never had any issue with him other than I'm really enjoying seeing his talent and seeing him express himself. Certainly, I'm confident that he's going to be here at the start of the season. We have a few players like that who I think are irreplaceable. Your top players are so hard to find, they're so hard to recruit, they're so hard to develop and make them into those players.

"So when you have them, you need to treasure him. We certainly, on the staff, recognise his talent and his ability. We are of course desperate to keep him part of our team."

One of Isak's agents, Gonzalo Gaitan, added some fuel to the fire amid these comments by recently admitting they are considering 'all options' for the Swede.

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"We are indeed studying and analysing all options," he said in an interview with Saudi Arabian publication Arriyadiyah. "And we may be close to finalising the next step for the player, without revealing any details regarding whether Isak will transfer or stay with Newcastle."

Meanwhile, Liverpool are continuing to spend big in the transfer market, with the £79m for Ekitike bringing the Reds' spending close to £300m this summer alone. But their business may not stop there, with potential for more attacking recruits and a new centre-back.

Liverpool will likely need at least one more new forward, given the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the futures of Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Federico Chiesa. But after committing to splashing out on Ekitike, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool would still pursue Isak – who would cost over £120m.

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With the doubt surrounding Isak's future arising from Newcastle's failure to agree a fresh long-term deal with a deserved pay increase, his representatives appear to be 'playing the game' regarding their client's prospects, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Alexander Isak has been subject of much transfer speculation (Image: Stu Forster/Getty Images )

Newcastle are preparing for their next test on Sunday, July 27, when they face Arsenal in Singapore, where Isak could well feature. They will take on a K-League XI and Tottenham Hotspur in South Korea on Wednesday, July 30 and Sunday, August 3 respectively.

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They will play further friendlies against Espanyol at St. James' Park on Friday , August 8, and then Atletico Madrid on Saturday, August 9, leading up to their Premier League opener away to Aston Villa on Saturday, August 16.

The transfer window is set to close shortly after, on Monday, September 1, and while Howe was clear in his hopes that Isak will remain a Newcastle player by this point, his future could still be up in the air.

Although a definitive move from the Reds for Isak is far from certain, they will keep a close eye on his situation, and Newcastle will be aiming to keep the Swede around for the upcoming season.

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