The Swedish striker has been ruled out of Newcastle's preseason due to rumors linking him to Saudi Arabia and Liverpool.
The Swedish striker is a highly prized asset for Newcastle, but all indications are that their efforts to retain him are not going to bear fruit. Liverpool made a move for him when the transfer window opened, but now appear to have fallen out of a race currently led by Al Hilal . These rumors have led his manager to decide to "send him home" ahead of their friendly against Celtic.
Eddie Howe: "It was my decision. I decided to send him home due to speculation about his situation."
Liverpool appear to have found an alternative to Alexander Isak in Ekitike . Although the reason putting them off signing the Swede seemed to be the Magpies' asking price, they have decided to spend close to 90 million on the Eintracht Frankfurt player . The Saudi Professional League, specifically Al Hilal , is sure to be able to afford such a high expenditure, planning to put more than 100 million on the table.
The drama at Newcastle continues to escalate , with the prospect of losing their star player compounded by the 4-0 defeat to Celtic. Isak was expected to be on the pitch for at least a few minutes, but his manager decided against it. Isak would watch the game at home or on his way to the plane, but not at the stadium.
Eddie Howe raised alarm bells with this decision and had to clarify everything in the post-match press conference. "The last thing I wanted was to have him sitting in the stands watching; it wasn't fair to him," explained the Magpies manager. He added: "It was my decision. He traveled back to Glasgow with us, but I've decided to send him home due to speculation about his situation . "
Finally, he wanted to make it clear that, despite the rumors circulating about the striker, he still believes that " he will remain with the team next season and will not leave during this transfer window."