Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe hasn’t given up hope of Alexander Isak staying at the club and being reintegrated, despite the unsettled striker’s attempts to force a transfer.
With Liverpool waiting in the wings, having seen an offer in the region of £110 million ($149.2 million) rejected, Isak has been training separately from his Newcastle teammates for much of the summer and won’t be involved in this weekend’s Premier League opener against Aston Villa.
Isak, it has been reported, has threatened he will never play for Newcastle again, putting the Magpies under pressure to let him leave before the September 1 transfer deadline.
Asked in an interview with The Times if the situation with the Sweden international is “irretrievable”, Howe replied: “The word isn’t really in my dictionary.”
The Newcastle boss is hopeful that the club, thought to be demanding up to £150 million and running out of time to recruit a replacement, will be able to talk Isak round.
“I think communication is going to be the key,” Howe explained.
“At the moment, we are in a position where he is not available but I’d like to think that we will be able to reassess as the situation develops further. I think that he will always recognise that this is a very special team and a very special club. It’s been a tough period because a lot of the media attention has been negative, which is difficult on the players.”
The Isak saga was also unsurprisingly a topic brought up when Howe faced the wider press pack in his pre-match media conference.
“I’ve had a great relationship with him—that part of my job is important,” he said.
“I have to work closely with the players to improve them, help them, sometimes console them—there are so many different emotions that players go through. I don’t think he’d have done as well as he’s done with that and without his teammates and the backing of his supporters.
“He recognises that. He’s highly intelligent and knows he wouldn’t have had the success without Newcastle. This is a different moment and we’re working through it together.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Not in my Dictionary’—Eddie Howe Reflects on Newcastle’s Chances of Keeping Alexander Isak.
