Howe confident Isak will stay at Newcastle despite transfer talk
Isak has not traveled with Newcastle for their pre-season tour of Asia, apparently because of a minor thigh injury, but Howe said the 25-year-old Swedish striker was a key part of his plans.
'Of course, there are always going to be things going on behind the scenes,' Howe told reporters in Singapore, where Newcastle play Arsenal on Sunday.
'He is aware he's in the news every day, which I'm sure is not easy for anyone in that situation.
'Conversations between Alex and the club or with me will stay private for obvious reasons. We do share a good relationship,' Howe added.
Isak, who scored 23 Premier League goals last season, has been 'magnificent for us for as long as he has been with us,' said Howe. 'And he is very comfortable in the dressing room.'
Isak did not travel with the Magpies after the thigh injury kept him out of Newcastle's friendly defeat to Celtic last week.
'He mentioned before the Celtic game that it would be very minimal and nothing too serious,' said Howe.
'But he left training very early and didn't feel right. So, he's now back in Newcastle getting that injury assessed.'
Howe remained confident that Isak will be wearing black and white when the new season kicks off next month.
'I said after the game against Celtic that I was confident he would stay. I don't see anything that is going to change that opinion of mine at the moment.
'It's football,' he added. 'And who knows what the future may bring.'
The Magpies ended their 70-year trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup and finished in fifth place in the Premier League last season to secure a return to the Champions League.
'I think once you've experienced that feeling of winning, you want it again. So, we want to do it again as soon as possible, in all the competitions we are in,' said Howe.
'We set the bar very high, and there's a lot of ambition within the team.' AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ammon
17 hours ago
- Ammon
Dortmund interested in re-signing Sancho
Ammon News - Borussia Dortmund are interested in re-signing Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho for a second time. The German side are one of a number of clubs, including Juventus, that are keen on the 25-year-old. Dortmund have explored the conditions of a deal for Sancho and Sky in Germany are reporting that internal discussions are taking place about bringing him back to the club. Sancho joined United from Dortmund in 2021 for £73m and returned there on loan in the second half of the 2023/24 season. Sancho impressed in that loan spell as Dortmund reached the Champions League final. Juventus have held talks with United and the player's representatives about signing Sancho. Dialogue remains open between all the parties involved, although it is understood Juve would need to make sales to fund a deal. Napoli were looking at Sancho earlier in this window too and are expected to move on to alternative winger targets after missing out on Dan Ndoye's signing to Nottingham Forest. Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling and Federico Chiesa are the names currently under consideration, according to Sky in Italy. Clubs in Saudi Arabia are also keeping an eye on Sancho's situation. United prefer a permanent sale, but may consider another loan – provided a permanent option or obligation was attached.
Ammon
a day ago
- Ammon
Amorim is the right man for Man Utd, says Ugarte
Ammon News - Finishing 15th in the Premier League was nowhere near good enough for Manchester United last season but the players still have faith in manager Ruben Amorim, midfielder Manuel Ugarte said. Amorim took charge of United in November last year but guided them to just seven wins in 27 league matches and their worst-ever finish in the Premier League. They also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. "We have to improve things," Ugarte told British media. "We are all very motivated, because we believe in the coach, we believe in what he wants and that is very important," added the Uruguayan, who also played under Amorim at Sporting. "Last year we made some changes, we changed our coach, we changed our formation. "You have to have responsibilities when you play for United. Sometimes the connections take time to get to know each other. I already know the league, the rivals, which is important." United will play two pre-season matches in the U.S., taking on Bournemouth in Chicago on Wednesday and facing Everton in Atlanta on Sunday, before returning home to face Fiorentina at Old Trafford on August 9. They begin the new Premier League season against Arsenal on August 17. Reuters
Ammon
2 days ago
- Ammon
Liverpool agree £65.5m deal to sell winger to Bayern Munich
Ammon News - Liverpool have agreed a deal to sell Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich. The total fee for the deal is £65.5m. Diaz, who has two years remaining on his Liverpool contract, now has permission to leave the club's Asia tour. Sky Sports News understand he is expected to leave Tokyo on Monday to finalise the move to Bayern. Liverpool rejected Bayern's initial advances and an offer believed to be in the region of £58.5m (€67m) but the German club returned with a second offer of £65.5m (€75m) including add-ons. The Reds have accepted the offer after securing what the club considers to be full market value. Throughout the summer, Liverpool had been unwilling to sell a key first-team player but Diaz and his representatives pushed for a move. He first signalled a wish to leave in the summer of 2024, but the club held firm while assessing both the squad and the market. Two separate attempts from Liverpool to agree a contract extension failed due to a gap between offers and demands, and after Diaz helped deliver the club's 20th Premier League title, Liverpool reluctantly agreed to his request to leave. Diaz joined Liverpool in January 2022 for a guaranteed £37.5m (€42.9m) payment, signing a five-and-a-half-year contract.
