Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has described the ongoing uncertainty over striker Alexander Isak as “complex” and “far from ideal” after the club rejected a £110m bid from Liverpool.
The Magpies value the 25-year-old at around £150m and remain hopeful he will stay.
Isak, who has been left out of the club’s pre-season tour of Asia with a minor thigh problem, has been training alone at former club Real Sociedad, a development Howe says he only learned of through the media.
The Swede, Newcastle’s top scorer last season as they lifted the Carabao Cup, joined from Sociedad for £60m in 2022.
“I really don’t know what is going to happen next,” Howe said in Seoul ahead of Sunday’s friendly with Tottenham. “We still support Alex in every way, and my wish is that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again. The situation is quite complex.”
With the Premier League season set to begin against Aston Villa on 16 August, Newcastle face the challenge of resolving the transfer saga quickly as one of their prized assets considers his future.
