
Eddie Howe shares update on Isak following talks about star's future
Isak, who was the subject of a rejected £110m bid from Liverpool, has been training separately and has expressed a desire to explore his options.
Howe admitted that the club cannot simply refuse to sell Isak, despite valuing him closer to £150m, and acknowledged the situation has unsettled the squad.
Newcastle has experienced a challenging transfer window, missing out on several key targets, which has led to speculation regarding the Saudi Public Investment Fund's engagement.
Howe firmly denied any disengagement from the club's owners, assuring that they remain fully committed to the project.
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Daily Mirror
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Virgil van Dijk made it very clear what Liverpool dressing room thinks of Alexander Isak
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk made it very clear before his side's Carabao Cup final against Alexander Isak's Newcastle that the Reds cohort rate the striker highly Virgil van Dijk's pre- Carabao Cup final comments indicate that 'red-hot' Newcastle talisman Alexander Isak is revered by the Liverpool squad. The Reds submitted an opening £110million offer for Isak this summer, but a move has since stalled. Despite spending almost £300m on the likes of Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike and potential British record transfer Florian Wirtz, Arne Slot's side are still eyeing up a blockbuster move for the Magpies' star Swedish striker. The club tabled a £110m bid earlier this month, which was swiftly rejected, and have not returned with a follow-up. Reports suggest Newcastle have informed their player he is not for sale this summer and will not head to Anfield, though not all hope is lost. Nevertheless, Isak knows exactly how Liverpool's squad feels about him, after the club's captain made a glowing admission before March's Carabao Cup final between the Reds and Newcastle. Asked about facing Newcastle in the final, Van Dijk did not hold back when praising striker Isak, an indicator of just how highly he is rated by players on Merseyside. "Obviously, they have a striker that is in red-hot form at the moment," Van Dijk told CBS Sports with a chuckle in February. "So when the time is there, we have to be ready." With Liverpool's pursuit of Isak hitting a snag, manager Slot was asked whether the departed Darwin Nunez, who has joined Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, would be replaced by the 25-year-old, and he remained tight-lipped in his response. "As you know from me, and I think every manager works like this, you never talk about players that are not yours," Slot told reporters before their Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace. "So I can talk to you about Hugo [Ekitike], who we've signed recently and has done really well until now. We are very happy with the squad we have. "There's every reason to be happy about that, because we won the league last season. OK, players left, but we've brought players in as well and youngsters are doing good." Slot also touched on the club's current range of attacking talent, which was on full display at Wembley against the Eagles, with new recruits Ekitike and Frimpong finding the back of the net. The Dutch manager refused to rule out his side returning to the transfer market, however, but did admit that his current arsenal is already impressive. "I think, we think, we already have a lot of attacking power in our team," Slot continued. "I think about Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, Hugo Ekitike and Mo Salah. "We brought in Jeremie Frimpong because we think he can play as a right full-back but I also think and feel he can play as a right-winger - Florian Wirtz who can play as a left winger. "I already feel I have a lot of attacking options in my current squad, but as always, as a club, we are always looking at the chances in the market. But that can also be in the midfield or in the last line."


The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Football transfer rumours: Spurs in for Savinho? Wissa to Liverpool?
It's been at least 13 minutes since Chelsea bought a player they don't need and withdrawal symptoms are biting hard. As such, they've begun talks with RB Leipzig, the idea being to swap Christopher Nkunku and cash for Xavi Simons. Though presumably the deal wouldn't actually be a swap, rather 793 separate deals payable over 32,321 years with the players valued at knockdown prices of £9065m and £19324m, respectively. Nor will that be it. No squad is complete without someone who scores few and creates fewer, so Enzo Maresca is also keen to add Alejandro Garnacho to his squad. Leipzig, meanwhile, would like to acquire Harvey Elliott from Liverpool, who reportedly rejected a move to Nottingham Forest as he does not think they suit his playing style – they must've expected him to start rather than hang about as sub. Rather, he is said to favour a move to Serie A instead: the golden era of Harvelissimo may be just a few short weeks away. Chelsea are, though, also looking to sell – most particularly Nicolas Jackson. Newcastle, having been rejected by Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Hugo Ekitike, Ian Ormondroyd, Liam Delap, Ian Olney, João Pedro, Bill Brewer, Jan Stewer, Peter Gurney and Peter Davey, seem most interested in the striker who cannot strike; the player himself seemingly prefers Alloa Athletic, San Marino Academy and Wormwood Scrubs Reserves. But if all else fails and given how much the Gallowgate loves a No 9, the romantic thrill of following Hughie Gallagher, Wor Jackie, Supermac, Coley, Sir Les and Alan Shearer means he'll instead accept whatever he can find that isn't that, but if that's all he can find, then that's what he'll do. Similarly, Randal Kolo Muani, another centre-forward target, would rather join Juventus, where he spent the second half of last season on loan, while Liverpool are keeping an eye on Yoane Wissa, whom they might take should they fail to relieve Newcastle of Alexander Isak. Quite why and how all these players have failed to be dazzled by Eddie Howe remains a mystery, but here we are. In other striker news, Ruben Amorim has packed Rasmus Højlund's bags, put his house on the market and booked him a one-way to ticket Anywhere But Here; Højlund retains every confidence he will soon be Manchester United's first choice. However, should his manager remain unseduced by his preference for wrestling defenders to scoring goals, Milan are interested; they'd like a loan with an option to buy, whereas United just want shot of the shot-shy. They are, though, considering taking Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer. The out-of-contract player has reportedly dismissed his agent to negotiate his own deal, which makes sense if you consider how much spare time he has, while 13 seconds of persistence appears to have worn down Jack Grealish – he's agreed to join the Toffees on loan from Manchester City, who are also trying to shift Savinho to Spurs. Otherwise, Régis Le Bris appears to be the only person in England who has heard of Lloyd Kelly. He fancies bringing the 26-year-old defender – who recently joined Juventus on a loan-with-an-obligation-to-buy deal from Newcastle – to Sunderland, should the clubs be able to strike a deal. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion And finally for today to Nottingham, where Forest have made an offer for Monaco midfielder Soungoutou Magassa; they also hold an interest in Kostas Tsimikas, left out of Liverpool's Community shield squad. The absence of Harvelissimo is a factor not believed to be a factor operative in their decision-making process.


Daily Mail
27 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Michail Antonio gives update on his football future - just eight months after serious car crash that left him fearing for career
Michail Antonio has opened up on the next step he plans to take in his footballing career after leaving West Ham as a free agent - eight months after the forward was involved in a potentially life-altering car accident. The Jamaica international was driving through Epping Forest last December when he lost control of his Ferrari and crashed into a tree. The 35-year-old had to be cut loose by emergency services after being trapped in the wreckage for more than 45 minutes. After being taken hospital, Antonio learned that his leg was badly broken, with his femur shattering in four places. But after an impressive recovery that saw him training just four months after the collision, Antonio and his club took the decision not to extend his deal after the two parties were unable to agree on new terms. Antonio has been adamant that he wants to return to competitive top-flight action and continue his career, but remains without a club during this transfer window. The star has even pivoted to punditry roles, stepping onto the other side of the microphone during coverage of Sunday's Community Shield match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace. However, during a recent interview, the forward revealed that there are plans afoot to change that, with Antonio sharing that a number of clubs had discussed offers with him. 'No, definitely not,' Antonio told talkSPORT when asked if he would be focusing on media duties full-time. 'I'm speaking to clubs right now to see where the best offer is for me to go, and we'll just see how it goes. 'To be honest, there's a mixture, we're talking to clubs here, we're talking to clubs abroad, but I'm going to leave it very vague - talk to clubs in England and abroad.' Antonion added that it was his aim '100 per cent' to feature for his country at next year's 2026 World Cup in north America. 'That's one thing I've not managed to achieve for myself, to be playing in the World Cup, and Jamaica are very close to it.' But, Antonio continued, 'it's not just that, I just wouldn't want my career to come to an end by a car crash, literally. 'So I've got something to prove to show that I can come back, I can come back and play well, which I was doing for the last 10 years. 'Even before I did the car crash, I was starting for West Ham, so it shows I've still got that ability about me and I can do it again.' A squad veteran, Antonio was a lynchpin in the dressing room and on the pitch for the Hammers, playing a key role in their winning of the inaugural Europa Conference League title. Antonio leaves West Ham having made 323 appearances for the east London side since joining 10 years ago. During that time, the player scored 83 goals and registered a further 43 assists for the Hammers. Should Antonio make it to the World Cup at the end of this season, he could play alongside former England starlet Mason Greenwood. The ex-Manchester United star is believed to have acquired a Jamaican passport amid the process of possibly switching allegiances to the Reggae Boyz. Greenwood was told his playing for England again was 'not a consideration' by former manager Gareth Southgate, following his 18-month hiatus from club football after he was arrested on suspicion of attempted rape, assault, and controlling and coercive behaviour in January 2022. Charges against Greenwood were dropped by Crown Prosecution Services in February 2023, but after a six-month internal investigation carried out by United, it was agreed between both parties that he would never feature for his boyhood club again. Greenwood now plays for Ligue 1 side Marseille.