Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe insisted that he was “confident” Alexander Isak would remain on Tyneside this summer, although he did reveal the telling impact of Liverpool’s very public pursuit of his striker.
Isak was not included in the Newcastle squad which faced Celtic in a preseason friendly on Saturday afternoon. Howe revealed that the Sweden international was perfectly fit, but had been left at home to avoid “the speculation” and “scrutiny” which has bubbled away in recent days.
It was widely reported at the start of the week that Liverpool were willing to offer a club-record fee to buy Isak. Newcastle quickly rebuffed that approach, prompting the Reds to shift their focus onto Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitiké, who had previously been billed as a leading target for the Magpies.
Rather than pine after the Frenchman, Howe was focused on keeping his existing talisman. The 47-year-old admitted that he is “desperate” to hang on to Isak. “There is no one who feels any differently,” Howe told assembled reporters after Saturday’s friendly, “from board to staff to players. We value his qualities, as a person, so it’s very strong.
“I’d say we have a few of those players that are irreplaceable. Your top players are so hard to find, so hard to recruit, so hard to develop and make them into those players. When you have them, you have to treasure them, and we and the staff recognise his talent and his ability. Of course, we’re desperate to keep him part of our team.”

When bluntly asked about the possibility of losing Isak to a renewed offer from Liverpool, Howe conceded: “I think it’s difficult for me to ever give 100% clarity on any player. I’d never do that because it’s football and you never know what could happen.
“All I can say is that Alex is happy at Newcastle. He loves the players that he plays with, the staff, the team. I’ve never had any issue with him, other than really enjoying seeing his talent and seeing him express himself.
“Certainly, I’m confident that he’s going to be here at the start of the season.”
Intriguingly, Newcastle host Liverpool in the Premier League before the end of August in a fixture which promises to have a number of fierce narratives running beneath it after this summer’s transfer exploits.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Eddie Howe Offers Alexander Isak Transfer Prediction Amid Liverpool Links.