Akshay Thakur - Friday, Aug 22, 2025Liverpool made a £110million bid for Isak earlier this month, according to media reports, and in a social media post on Tuesday he accused Newcastle of breaking promises.
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak will not join his squad for Monday's clash with Premier League champions Liverpool, boss Eddie Howe said. Howe described the tense standoff as a "lose-lose" situation. Liverpool made a 110 million pound ($148.3 million) bid for Isak earlier this month, according to media reports, and accused Newcastle of breaking promises in a social media post on Tuesday.
Newcastle responded by saying there was no commitment to sell the 25-year-old, who is under contract until 2028. 'There's been no change. It's a lose-lose situation. I don't think we can win from this under any circumstances,' Howe told reporters on Friday.
If Isak remains under contract with Newcastle until the transfer window closes on September 1, Howe said he and the players would welcome him back into the squad.
'I have no doubt how the players will feel. They will feel the same as I do. Alex is a fantastic player, he's a good person, a good character and a good human being," Howe said. "If Alex wants to come back and play for us, the players will welcome him. I want to see him back in a Newcastle jersey 100%.'
Howe said he had not seen Isak this week, who has not been training with the team, and said communication between the two had been normal.
'There's no problem with that. Of course it's a difficult situation for both parties and it's not ideal for both parties,' he said. 'When we see each other, we talk, but as I said, I haven't seen him this week because he's training later and is separate from the group.'
When asked about Isaac and the club's public statements earlier this week, the manager said he 'wished it hadn't come out in the open'. 'Everything is best dealt with behind closed doors but in this situation, it's important and the club have spoken out and it was the right thing to do at the time," he added.
Howe is confident Newcastle supporters will forgive Isaac if he returns to the team. 'Supporters always react to how a player plays and what he gives to the team. There are always two sides to every story,' Howe said.
