Alexander Isak has banned transfer talk and declared himself “here for the project” at Newcastle.
The 19-goal striker will be in demand this summer after a hugely impressive season with title contenders Arsenal watching the £100m rated star. Isak, 24, is Eddie Howe’s prize asset along with Bruno Guimaraes and the club is vulnerable to having to sell one of them to fund rebuilding after being hamstrung by Profit and Sustainability rules.
Guimaraes visited Paris earlier in the year for a “holiday” opening up rumours that he could be PSG ’s big summer deal. But Isak is a rare commodity in world football, a lead striker who scores goals, dribbles, runs from deep and has breathtaking individual skill.
He’s got 15 goals in 22 Premier League appearances this season That’s three behind golden boot leader Erling Haaland, but Isak has played seven hours less football in the league than the Manchester City star. Isak also has the best shot and chance conversion rate in the league at 55.8 per cent..
After scoring against Everton he opened up for the first time on growing rumours he is wanted by the elite. Asked about his commitment to Newcastle with Champions League qualification out of the question this season, Isak said: “Of course I want to be here in the future. I came here for the project, I absolutely love playing here, I really feel at home.
"I want to finish this season in a good way for me and the team. I don't want to entertain these type of questions and rumours. It's not my position. I love playing here. I love playing, we have important games, there's no focus there (on my future), I just want to do good for the team.”
Eddie Howe said of his star man on Tuesday night: “He is electric, fit and confident at the moment. To be the team we want to be, we need to keep our best players. Isak is a scorer of great goals. His goal was high level. We have limitless potential in him.
"He has had experiences, travelled to different leagues and we can develop his talent to show what he has. You have to try and keep your best players, whether you can continue to do that with the rules now, that is not down to me.”
Isak is determined to help Newcastle get back into European competition with a trip to Fulham up on Saturday and then a home game against Spurs. He added: “We want Europe, that's our target. We want to end up as high as possible, so we have to be positive in that respect. We have to keep winning games and we'll see which place is available.
“I'm happy with my goal tally. Usually I sum up the season after it's finished. I know it's interesting for you guys but I don't really think too much about it, I try to keep scoring and then after the season I see where I end up.
"If we want to go up the table we have to be consistent. We've been talking about that, being consistent, and we will have to try again next time. We had a lot of chances to win the game against Everton, so we're gutted.
Newcastle have struggled at times this season and won just two of their last six league games. Asked what has changed from last season’s fourth placed finish, Isak added: “It's hard to say what is the difference. Obviously injuries and some of those things, it's been difficult with the availability of players. It hasn't been easy.”