Eddie Howe delivered a firm stance on Alexander Isak’s future at Newcastle United during the 2023-24 campaign.
Isak scored 25 goals for Newcastle last season, becoming the first striker to achieve that feat for the club since Alan Shearer 20 years prior. Two years on from his club record £63million move to Newcastle from Real Sociedad, the 24-year-old has established himself as one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
But in doing that, Isak has attracted interest from elsewhere. Premier League rivals Arsenal are long-term admirers of the Swede while fresh reports have claimed Chelsea have made an enquiry about his availability this summer.
Newcastle want to keep hold of Isak this summer with a new contract under discussion. It would require a Premier League record transfer fee to be paid in order to see Isak leave St James’ Park.
“There’ll have to be movement out. But I think there’s no specific bracket or brand or type of player, however you want to look at it, that’s assigned to that.”
Howe has described Isak as a ‘world class’ striker that he would not swap for any other player if given the chance. But it will be important for Newcastle to continue improving in order to match Isak’s quality and ambitions.
“I think he is [world class],” Howe said. “I’m not overly analysing every striker in world football, I’m focused very much on my team so I’m not the best person qualified to give that opinion but the big question is would I swap him with anyone else? No I wouldn’t.
“When you look at his age profile, what’s to come and look at his attributes and qualities, he’s some talent.”
“I’m planning for them to be here,” Howe admitted last month. “Yeah, all my planning is with them in the squad.
“I talk to them all the time about different things and yeah, of course, their future might come within those discussions but not necessarily about the media stories. I wouldn’t necessarily begin a conversation about that.”
“We’re looking to build a squad and a really successful team and to do that, we don’t want to sell our best players.
“That is hugely important for us, it will knock us back some considerable distance because we would have to start again.
“There is no weakness in the club to say we are going to sell anyone. But, of course, Financial Fair Play is there and we’ll have to comply like everyone else.
“That’s why I’ve said this summer is going to be a very difficult thing to predict. But there is no desire from anyone at the football club to sell our best players.”
“There’ll have to be movement out. But I think there’s no specific bracket or brand or type of player, however you want to look at it, that’s assigned to that.”
Howe has described Isak as a ‘world class’ striker that he would not swap for any other player if given the chance. But it will be important for Newcastle to continue improving in order to match Isak’s quality and ambitions.
“I think he is [world class],” Howe said. “I’m not overly analysing every striker in world football, I’m focused very much on my team so I’m not the best person qualified to give that opinion but the big question is would I swap him with anyone else? No I wouldn’t.
“When you look at his age profile, what’s to come and look at his attributes and qualities, he’s some talent.”
On the transfer speculation surrounding Isak, Howe added: “It’s a shame for me and probably for Alex. That will be the main thing with the better he does and the more goals he scores.
“We should enjoy his performances and how he’s playing at the moment, full of confidence and physically in a really good place. It’s a great thing to watch him play.”
