Newcastle transfer news: Alexander Isak’s future evaluated amid tough summer for Toon manager Eddie Howe

Sky Sports News reporter Keith Downie examines the key questions surrounding Alexander Isak’s Newcastle future, the club’s frustrating summer transfer season thus far after missing out on several targets, and where they need to reinforce, having only bought Anthony Elanga for £55 million.

Sky Sports News’ Keith Downie tackles the important questions about Alexander Isak’s future at Newcastle, the club’s dismal summer transfer market thus far, and where they need to reinforce…

What happened to Alexander Isak when he missed the friendly versus Celtic?

Isak will travel with the squad to Singapore before heading to South Korea on Thursday.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has stated that he will accompany the team on the trip, and I would expect him to be present and would be astonished if he was not. If he did not go on the trip, his future would be much more uncertain.

Eddie Howe says he is ‘confident’ Alexander Isak will stay at Newcastle

Isak was benched for Saturday’s loss to Celtic in order to control his minutes, but does Howe need to do the same? I’m very sure he was going to be left out against Celtic, as Joelinton was, but he was permitted to go home rather than sit in the stands.

Howe stated that this was done to protect him from conjecture, which is sound management in many respects. But it also implies that Isak has been influenced by what is going on.

I would think that discussions are taking place behind the scenes to try to get his mind in the right place as Newcastle continue their pre-season preparations.

With Liverpool agreeing a fee for Hugo Ekitike and Arsenal closing in on Viktor Gyokeres, what choices do Isak have if he leaves Newcastle?

Liverpool was most certainly Isak’s preferred destination. Despite allegations of interest from Al Hilal, I don’t see him transferring to Saudi Arabia at this stage in his career.

I would be quite surprised if Liverpool came in for Isak after signing Ekitike. I can’t imagine them signing both without selling other players, thus Ekitike’s transfer to Liverpool means that Isak will remain at Newcastle.

I believe Liverpool’s informal attitude to Isak has influenced him slightly.

He and the club will now have to find a way to make him happy for the upcoming season, whether that means agreeing on a new contract or a wage increase that brings him in line with what he would have received at Liverpool. Or he simply puts his head down and does what he does best.

If you’d asked me about Isak before Ektiike went to Liverpool, I thought there was a chance Isak might go after what occurred at Celtic. However, with Ekitike moving to Liverpool, I believe Isak will remain a Newcastle player this season.

Is Newcastle’s £150 million plus price tag a reasonable valuation?

Newcastle signing Anthony Elanga says he can’t wait to join up with his Sweden team-mate Isak at Newcastle

Newcastle are reportedly looking for at least £150 million for Isak.

Newcastle believes that as buyers, a Newcastle tax is applied to players because other teams mistakenly believe they have unlimited funds to spend. But that couldn’t be further from the truth when they’ve been dealing with PSR concerns for several years.

The £150 million value sets a high standard, but if a transaction happened – or was to happen – I believe it would be closer to £130 million, which would still be a Premier League record and would demolish Newcastle’s record sale.

They are well aware that they have a high-paying player on their hands, but they want to share the benefits of their efforts with him. Howe and his staff have worked hard with Isak over the previous two or three years, and they want to enjoy the results for at least another season.

Howe is desperate to keep Isak, but so are the club’s owners, and Howe reiterated over the weekend that everyone at the club agrees on this. They want Isak to stay for at least another season to lead their two-pronged attack on the Premier League and Champions League this season.

Is the Isak scenario a sign that Newcastle’s elite players are concerned about the direction of the club?

I don’t think players are concerned about the club’s path. The scenes on Newcastle’s streets after winning the Carabao Cup convinced them that the city was on the right track. Can Newcastle get their PSR restrictions lifted quickly enough for players like Isak to realize their dreams? I’m not so certain.

Isak is more likely to realize his dream of playing for Liverpool or Real Madrid, both of which often compete in Champions League finals, win league titles, and, most importantly, pay top bucks. He earns a lot of money at Newcastle, where he is the biggest earner, although he is far from the top earners in the Premier League. He understands he is one of the top players in the Premier League and believes his remuneration should reflect that.

Isak, Anthony Gordon, and Bruno Guimaraes have all expressed frustration over the years because they believe they have had to shoulder a large portion of the workload without the club acquiring new acquisitions to assist. Bruno pleaded with the club at the close of last season to make additions this window. I believe the players will be unhappy that a group of new players has yet to arrive to assist them.

You have to hope that they are receiving reassurance behind the scenes that the club is working hard to get players in to aid them with what will be a heavier workload this season.

What do the missed transfer targets reveal about the club’s image from the outside?

Newcastle have missed out on several targets this summer, including Liam Delap, Matheus Cunha, Dean Huijsen, Bryan Mbeumo, Joao Pedro, and Hugo Ekitike, making Howe’s summer extremely painful.

I still believe Newcastle faces a geographical challenge. I don’t think being stationed in the North East is really appealing to some players. When Newcastle plays against a London club, they usually lose.

Newcastle cannot pay the high salary that many other elite clubs can. Mbeumo earns more at Manchester United than he would at Newcastle.

They have been extremely unlucky this summer because there has been such a tiny pool of players available, and it appears like all of the major teams are vying for their signatures. That is why those players have been permitted to choose where they want to travel.

I also believe Newcastle has suffered from the lack of a sporting director since Paul Mitchell’s departure. Howe has had to step up and take on that responsibility alongside his nephew, Andy Howe, in the recruitment department. Newcastle has sometimes paid the price for not having the help from above to finish deals, because it is a lot to ask Eddie and Andy to do when they have their own jobs to perform.

How disappointed is Howe by Mitchell’s resignation as sporting director, and what were the circumstances behind it?

Image:Paul Mitchell has left his role as sporting director role at Newcastle

Howe’s comments on Saturday indicated that he is disappointed by Mitchell’s leaving, particularly given the timing.

He claimed he was on day two of his family vacation when his phone burst. The larger difficulty for Howe is that he has not been replaced. The timing of the transfer window has put a lot of strain on Howe’s shoulders, which has most likely cost Newcastle in the transfer market.

It’s no secret that Howe and Mitchell disagreed, so something had to give. However, Newcastle’s timing during the window has been quite poor.

Howe and Newcastle fans are dissatisfied with the lack of a succession plan.

Will they regret letting Callum Wilson depart now?

Image:Callum Wilson has left Newcastle after his contract expired

It was Wilson’s decision. Newcastle did give him a new agreement with lower salary, and while Howe would have like him to stay, I believe they appreciate Wilson’s point of view.

Wilson is 33 years old and has a history of injuries, so I don’t think they’ll regret it. He was not available for much of last season, so something had to give.

Newcastle have also lined up Wilson’s replacement, Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, for whom I expect the club to finalize a deal within the next few days. Despite having a £25 million deal rejected for the 28-year-old, the club will return with an enhanced £30 million with add-ons offer for the DR Congo international.

Howe stated he ‘didn’t want to lose’ Sean Longstaff after his move to Leeds: was Newcastle under pressure to sell him?

Longstaff’s selling is pure profit because he graduated from the academy, which makes sense. He was also not on the team near the end of the season.

I understand why he wanted to leave, and why Newcastle saw value in selling a player with only one year left on his contract. If he stayed, they would have received nothing for him next summer, so financially it is the correct decision, but it means Newcastle must replace him again.

Newcastle have admitted that they haven’t sold or traded well enough in recent years. But the sale of Longstaff demonstrates that they are learning how to do so within the context of PSR. However, this raises another issue: he must be replaced.

Anthony Elanga has been signed; what other jobs is Newcastle trying to fill?

Priority positions remain a right-sided centre-back and a striker, and I expect them to fill both.

Wissa is expected to be the striker brought in, a position that was needed even without an impending Isak exit. If he were to leave, they would require two strikers.

Howe wants another goalkeeper, which is why Burnley’s James Trafford has been a long-term target. I believe that emphasis has shifted slightly, and if there was one position they could maybe leave until January or next summer, it would be goalkeeper.

They clearly needed a right winger, and they acquired Elanga. Longstaff will need to be replaced, so it’ll be fascinating to see if they sign another midfielder, although I believe central defence and striker are their top concerns right now.

This was supposed to be the summer when Newcastle would have money to spend once PSR limits were lifted; how concerned should fans be with the summer so far?

They do have money to spend throughout the transfer window, but with the exception of Anthony Elanga, they have largely failed to do so. This is due to the market, higher prices, and competition for the tiny group of firms I described earlier.

They do not want to spend their money on just anyone. Howe emphasizes time and again that they do not want to bring in the wrong players and squander money on acquisitions that may not succeed. He has transfer targets and intends to stick to them. So, while Ekitike wasn’t one of their top targets, he had been on their radar for some time. How far down are they on that list? We don’t know, but if Newcastle were to sign a few players right now, I doubt they’d be at the top of the list because they’ve already passed up a few opportunities.

The supporters can take comfort in the fact that the money is still available. I would anticipate them to recruit at least a couple more players before the season begins, as the squad is desperate for help.

The club has failed to replace Darren Eales as CEO; is a lack of top-level leadership a concern, with ramifications for the entire team?

Not directly. However, it indirectly affects the players. If a new sporting director and CEO had been appointed, Isak’s contract negotiations could have begun.

The club appears to be lacking in personnel.

It’s worth noting that Newcastle named a new technical director on Monday to help.

However, the lack of a sporting director is one of the reasons for the paucity of signings, as well as the fact that contract talks for several players have been stalled or have yet to begin.