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Alexander Isak to Liverpool: Eddie Howe CONFIRMS surprise decision
Tom Weber
- Updated: 19 Jul 2025 18:12 BST
- 4 min read
News
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has confirmed that he sent Alexander Isak home from Saturday's pre-season trip to Glasgow due to the speculation linking him with a move to Liverpool.
It has been an intense week for Newcastle. Things looked to get off to a promising start when the Magpies ramped up their interest in Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, even placing a formal bid for the Frenchman.
Ekitike was supposed to join Newcastle to complement star striker Alexander Isak, not to replace him. However, the Swede's suitors, chief among them Liverpool, took the Ekitike talks as their cue to make a move for Isak.
Current ETV
Alexander Isak
F (C)
Newcastle Utd.
Alexander Isak
F (C)
Newcastle Utd.
ETV Range
€104.5M - €127.7M
Liverpool informed Newcastle that they would be ready to pay as much as €138 million (£120m) for the 25-year-old sharpshooter. Newcastle immediately knocked back the approach, telling the Reds that Isak is not for sale and also leaving the Ekitike race.
This, in turn, prompted the Anfield club to move for Ekitike and agree personal terms with the Frankfurt star. A potential move for the Bundesliga forward has progressed in recent days, but Liverpool remain attentive to Isak's situation.
Howe confirms Isak decision
Indeed, it is thought that the Reds will make another approach for Isak before the end of the window. Should they receive any encouragement from either the player or Newcastle, they will go all-in on the Swede.
With all this speculation swirling around the forward, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe opted to omit him from the Magpies' friendly clash with Celtic on Saturday afternoon, which ended in a 4-0 thrashing for the Carabao Cup winners.
"It was my decision," Howe confirmed after explaining pre-match that Isak would not have featured for fitness reasons. "He travelled to Glasgow with us, but I decided to send him home due to the speculation around him.
"The last thing he wanted is to be sat in the stand watching, that wasn’t fair to him. But I’m confident he will be a Newcastle player come the end of the window."
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