The face-to-face discussions Newcastle United’s ownership group held with Alexander Isak have not come to a positive resolution for any party involved, reports have claimed, with manager Eddie Howe calling for “clarity” to move forward.
In his attempts to secure a move to Liverpool, Isak has distanced himself from first-team activities at Newcastle, starting with his absence from the club’s pre-season tour of Asia. There was a brief spell training with his former club Real Sociedad before returning to Tyneside to remain in defiant isolation. Isak underscored this stance with a public statement declaring that “the relationship can’t continue” last week.
Newcastle manager Howe has repeatedly left the door open for Isak to come back into the fold. This stance is shared by Newcastle’s hierarchy, who remain insistent that their star striker is not for sale. Co-owner Jamie Reuben led a delegation of investors to have a meeting with Isak at his home in Northumberland before Monday’s clash with Liverpool, the Daily Mail report, in an attempt to come to some form of compromise.
It has not had the desired effect. David Ornstein of The Athletic told NBC Sports on the same day that Isak had “no intention to reintegrate.”
Howe, as ever, was left to field the flood of questions washing his way from a position of deliberate ignorance. “I am not aware of a meeting with the owners but I have not been party to talks [about Isak’s future] for a long time,” the Magpies boss sighed after Monday’s 3–2 defeat. “I have been preparing the team, giving my energy to players who want to play for Newcastle. I have no idea where things [regarding Isak] stand.”
Newcastle chair Yasir Al-Rumayyan was sat next to Reuben at St James’ Park. “I don’t know why he [Al-Rumayyan] is here,” Howe shrugged. “His presence is much appreciated from my perspective. He is the owner and he is the most important person in terms of any decisions we make.”
There is one point on which Howe was able to elaborate, his desire for a resolution. “We want clarity to move forward and to change the narrative,” the English boss lamented. “We have given two really good performances [without Isak or a senior striker] and ended up with one point. Alex’s quality would have made a difference in the two games.”
“This isn’t going to be a simple season for us,” Howe added. “There is no intentional dig to Alex, but naturally I want players that are committed to Newcastle.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘We Want Clarity’—Alexander Isak Message Sent After Owner Talks.
