Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is confident that Alexander Isak will remain at the club this summer, despite his absence from their pre-season defeat to Celtic and ongoing interest from Liverpool.
Isak did not travel to Glasgow for Saturday’s friendly, raising eyebrows as speculation around his future continues to swirl.
The Sweden international was the only fit senior player omitted from the matchday squad.
Explaining the decision, Howe said: “It was a mixture of managing his workload and trying to keep him away from noise that would not be helpful for him or the team.
“We both felt it was better that he stayed behind and trained.”
Liverpool have been strongly linked with Isak in recent weeks, but Newcastle maintain that no formal bid has been received.
Asked directly about the striker’s future, Howe added: “No assurances in football are ever given, but I’m confident he will stay. He’s trained really well and is very happy here.”
The Magpies are preparing for their upcoming tour of East Asia, which includes friendlies against Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and a K-League XI. Isak is expected to be part of the travelling squad.
Howe reiterated that the 24-year-old’s absence against Celtic was not disciplinary.
“It was a joint decision – if he had travelled, the spotlight on him would have been distracting for everyone involved,” Howe said.
While Isak stayed behind to train, Joelinton – still recovering from injury – was in attendance at Celtic Park. Howe suggested the circumstances were different.
“Joelinton being here wasn’t going to cause a stir,” he said. “With Alex, it would’ve been different.”
Despite the uncertainty, the club remains hopeful of retaining Isak’s services as they prepare for the new Premier League campaign.
