Anthony Elanga backs ‘best in the world' Alexander Isak to remain focussed amid the ‘noise'
Liverpool have communicated their interest in paying around £120million ($138.7m) for Isak but Newcastle have reaffirmed their long-term stance that the 25-year-old is not for sale.
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Newcastle saw an offer worth around €75m (£64.9m; $86.9m) rejected for Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike this week, and it now appears likely that the Frenchman will head to Anfield after Liverpool subsequently formalised their interest.
That is likely to strengthen Newcastle's resolve to keep Isak and Elanga, who joined from Nottingham Forest earlier this month for an initial £52m, is relishing working with his fellow Swede.
While he did not want to be drawn into where Isak's future may lie, Elanga backed his new club-mate to remain professional.
'I always try and focus on the present and the now and Alex being the person he is, one of the best attackers in the world, I think there's always going to be noise around him but he's the type of player who is always staying focused,' Elanga said, via a video call from Newcastle's pre-season training camp at Seefeld in the Austrian Alps.
'What he's shown in training is second to none and I'm looking forward to continuing training with him.
'There are so many great partnerships (here) but it would be great, Alex and me. The best striker in the world and someone that, not just as a player, he's an amazing person as well so I can always rely on him for advice and whatever. He's always going to be there to help me so I appreciate him a lot.'
Elanga and Isak are close, having played together regularly for Sweden over the last few years, but the winger did not divulge what the striker has communicated with his team-mates about his situation.
Instead, Elanga — who provided 11 assists last season, the third-most in the Premier League — is looking forward to supplying Isak in a Newcastle shirt, given the former Real Sociedad striker scored 23 top-flight goals in 2024-25.
'A player of his stature, there's always going to be noise around him,' Elanga said.
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'He's one of the best players in the world, one of the best attackers in the world. I've played with him at international level so I can say so.
'There's always going to be noise around him but, at the end of the day, he's a Newcastle United player right now. I'm just trying to focus on what he's doing in training and speaking to him every day.'
The 23-year-old added: 'Whenever I speak to Alex it's always about good things – how my family is, how his family is and that's the first thing (he asked me): how my family is because he sees them all the time when he comes with the national team.'
Newcastle travel to Celtic for their opening pre-season friendly on Saturday, where Isak and Elanga may line up together at club level for the first time.
Eddie Howe's side secured a fifth-place finish last season and a return to the Champions League, two years after their last appearance in Europe's top club competition.
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