Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimarães has confessed Alexander Isak has been unsettled by the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his future at the club.
Isak is reported to have turned down the offer of a new contract at Newcastle and has not travelled with the pre-season squad after expressing an interest in leaving the club this summer. The Magpies insist his absence is due to a thigh injury.
Liverpool are thought to retain their interest even after signing Hugo Ekitiké, while Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal are also chasing his signature.
As the Newcastle squad touched down in Singapore, Mail Sport quizzed Guimarães on Isak’s future, and the Brazil international admitted he did not know what lies ahead for his teammate.
“I’m really close to [Isak],” the midfielder began. “He’s a good guy. He’s been through some rough things at this moment.
“My focus is with the lads. Isak is something I cannot control. The club has control of it. I hope he’s going to be fit when we come back to Newcastle to prepare for the new season. They told us he was there in Newcastle because of his injury. Of course he’s a top player for us and he’s going to be a miss on this trip. We need him ready as soon as possible.”
Defender Dan Burn echoed that stance, insisting Isak’s future is out of the squad’s hands.
“Listen, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion,” the towering defender added. “But I think we can just control what we can control. That’s a question for Alex to answer.
“He’s obviously a big player for us, but we do have a lot of quality in the squad as well. Bringing Anthony [Elanga] in as well, which I think was a great signing.
“Alex hasn’t trained with a thigh issue that’s been ongoing since he’s been back that first few days.”
Newcastle remain determined not only to keep hold of Isak, but to tie him down to a new contract, although the striker’s reported weekly wage demands of £300,000 ($406,000) have so far proven impossible to work with.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Rough Things’—Bruno Guimaraes Reacts to Alexander Isak’s Transfer Demand.
