Eddie Howe admits the Alexander Isak situation is ‘far from ideal’ but still hopes to see the unsettled star back in a Newcastle shirt after confirming the club rejected an offer from Liverpool.
The 25-year-old Swede, one of the hottest properties in world football, has had his head turned by the Premier League champions’ interest this summer.
Isak did not travel to Asia for Newcastle’s pre-season tour due to what the club called a ‘minor thigh injury’, only for his unhappiness to emerge along with the fact he is training at former club Real Sociedad.
‘I think from my situation, I am very much removed from everything that is happening back home,’ Magpies boss Howe said.
‘I was made aware there was a bid yesterday. That bid was turned down before I heard about it.
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‘There are people back in England dealing with the situation. I really don’t know what is going to happen next, but from our perspective, we still support Alex in every way, and my wish is still that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again.’
Asked if Liverpool’s interest had unsettled Isak ahead of the new season, Howe replied: ‘It’s difficult, because you don’t know what is going to happen from this point. We can only deal with the reality.
‘The reality is we had a first bid from Liverpool and I believe that was turned down. From this point onwards, let’s see what happens.
‘In terms of trying to upset players and all that kind of stuff, from my perspective, we can only talk about our conduct.
‘We try to do things in the right way. Signing players is always complex. We just try to do what we think is right. I can’t talk about other clubs, that’s not for me to say.’
Newcastle head back from Asia after Sunday’s friendly against Tottenham in Seoul, where Howe revealed he learned Isak was training in Spain with his former club through the media.
‘I know where he is through the media, so I think from that perspective it’s difficult for me to go into any detail,’ the said.
‘The situation is far from ideal. It is quite complex. I think that is all I have got to say.’
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