Newcastle suffered a shocking 4-0 defeat last week against Scottish league champions Celtic in a pre-season friendly. Surprisingly, the Magpies’ primary striker, Alexander Isak, was missing from the squad for the match at Celtic Park and was reportedly sent back to Newcastle, sparking speculation about the Swedish international’s future.
Isak has been linked with a move to Liverpool since the early days of the summer transfer window. Although talks had died down after the Magpies made it clear they intended to keep the striker, the situation has heated up again as Isak is reportedly asking for a whopping £300,000-per-week contract, putting the Magpies in a tough spot.
Meanwhile BBC has reported that Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has addressed Isak’s absence from the Celtic game while speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle. He said:
"I think for any player speculation's not an easy thing to deal with, and not an easy thing to understand, when you're fielding calls and messages from players and people asking you all sorts.
"The media now is so strong and the media message goes far and wide.
"I don't think it's easy for any player to be under that scrutiny and that's part - ten per cent - of the reason why he wasn't here today."
Eddie Howe reveals that Isak was left out of the squad due to speculations about his future
Newcastle are currently lacking options up front after Callum Wilson left the club as a free agent following the expiry of his contract. The Magpies have been searching for a new striker for quite some time now but have yet to secure a signing. The club recently missed out on both Hugo Ekitike and Bryan Mbeumo, and are now turning their attention to Yoane Wissa in an effort to strengthen their forward line.
As for Isak, he was set to be the Magpies primary striker moving forward. The Swedish international joined Newcastle in 2022 and has a contract running till 2028. He has already established himself as one of the best players in his positions in the Premier League. But the recent wage demands by the player might be a cause of concern for the club.
Newcastle will be dealt a major blow in case Isak decides to leave St James’ Park this summer. Until there’s certainty, the Magpies fans will be anxiously hoping that the Swedish striker’s future lies at St James’ Park and not somewhere else.