Newcastle striker Alexander Isak was spotted training alone today amid reports he has picked up a minor injury as rumours continue to swirl surrounding his future.
Al Hilal and Liverpool are both thought to be interested in the Swede’s services this summer, despite Newcastle’s insistence that the striker is not for sale.
He was left out of Eddie Howe’s squad for last weekend’s 4-0 friendly loss to Celtic, with the manager later confirming that he sent the player home to shield him from that speculation.
But it has now been revealed that Isak is also dealing with a niggle, with NewcastleWorld reporting that he underwent a scan this week after feeling some ‘discomfort’ in his thigh.
He is thought to have been given the all-clear, but trained alone afterwards as a precaution.
The news follows reports from TalkSport that Isak, who tallied 29 Premier League goal contributions last season, has set new contract demands as he looks to clarify his future.
The report claims he has demanded a £300,000 per week pay packet, which would make him the highest-paid player at the club by a considerable margin.
Bruno Guimaraes currently holds that title, on a reported wage of £160,000 per week. Isak’s current deal, worth £120,000 per week, expires in 2028.
Liverpool had been considered his most credible suitor and were reportedly willing to spend £120m, but they moved instead for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike after an initial enquiry was swiftly rebuffed.
Speaking after the Celtic friendly, Howe was adamant that Isak would not leave the Northeast this summer.
“I'm confident he's going to be here at the start of the season,” he said.
"We have a few of those players who are irreplaceable. Your top players are so hard to find, so hard to recruit, and so hard to develop. So when you have them, you need to treasure them. Of course we're desperate to keep him as part of our team.”
