Liverpool and Newcastle fans quickly reacted after Eddie Howe’s comments about Alexander Isak’s future at the club on Saturday.
Isak, 25, has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool recently, while Saudi club Al Hilal has also expressed interest in the Swedish forward.
Just as Newcastle supporters hoped they might avoid losing him—especially since Liverpool appeared focused on signing Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike—it was revealed that Isak was left out of Newcastle’s squad for their 4-0 loss to Celtic in Glasgow.
Initial reports suggested Isak’s absence was due to managing his playing time and not related to his future at Newcastle.
When asked why both Joelinton and Isak were excluded from the matchday squad, Howe said, “Both are fit but not ready to play. Alex has trained well and is fine, but we didn’t want to risk him.”
He also commented, “It’s hard to be 100% certain about any player. Alex is happy here, he loves the team, the staff, and the players. I’m confident he’ll be here at the start of the season.”
Later, Sky Sports’ Keith Downey shared more quotes from Howe: “It was my decision. Alex traveled with us to Glasgow, but I sent him home because of the speculation around him. I didn’t think it was fair for him to sit in the stands watching. I’m confident he’ll still be a Newcastle player when the transfer window closes.”
Liverpool fans quickly shared their reactions to Howe’s comments. One said, “I’m drawn back in, unfortunately.” Another added, “There must be some truth to the rumors then.” A third noted, “Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but it sounds like he’s unsettled.”
Meanwhile, some Newcastle fans were unhappy with Howe’s remarks. One said, “So his head’s been turned. If he doesn’t want to play for us, then off he goes.” Another said, “That doesn’t sound quite right. This feels like a typical Howe answer to a tricky media question. You don’t send a player home just because of speculation — that happens all year round. Something’s off now.” A third commented, “A strange decision. Surely Isak would’ve performed better with 10,000 Newcastle fans cheering him on. I’m getting a bad feeling about this.”
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