Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, who is seeking a move away from the club, has been left out of the squad for Monday’s match against Premier League champion Liverpool, manager Eddie Howe confirmed Friday, calling the standoff a “lose-lose” situation.
Liverpool reportedly lodged a 110 million-pound ($148.3 million) bid for the 25-year-old earlier this month. Isak, under contract with Newcastle until 2028, later accused the club on social media of breaking promises. Newcastle quickly denied the claim, insisting there was never an agreement to sell their star forward.
“There’s been no change,” Howe told reporters Friday. “It’s a lose-lose situation. I don’t think we can come out of this winning in any situation.”
If Isak remains under contract when the transfer window closes Sept. 1, Howe said he and the players would welcome him back into the squad.
“I have no doubt about how the players will feel. They will feel the same way I do. Alex is a fantastic player. He’s a good person, a good character and a good lad,” Howe said. “If Alex wanted to come back and play for us, the players would welcome him.
“One hundred percent I want to see him back in a Newcastle shirt.”
Howe said he has not seen Isak this week, as the forward is not training with the team, though conversations between them have otherwise been normal.
“There’s no issues there. Of course it’s a difficult situation from both sides, and it’s far from ideal for both parties,” Howe said. “When we bump into each other, we speak. But as I say, I’ve not seen him this week as he’s training later on and detached from the group.”
Asked about public statements from Isak and the club earlier this week, Howe said he would prefer to keep matters internal.
“Everything is better dealt with behind closed doors. But in this situation, needs must, and the club has spoken – justifiably so in that moment,” he said.
Howe added that he believes Newcastle supporters could forgive Isak if he returns to the team.
“The supporters will always react off how a player plays and what he gives the team,” Howe said. “There’s always two sides to every story.”
