There still appears to be some disagreement over how much Newcastle United may have gone back on promises made to Alexander Isak.
The Swedish striker reportedly believes the club was aware of his intention to leave during the summer transfer window.
Now, recent comments from manager Eddie Howe seem to support that view, suggesting the club did know about the 25-year-old’s plans.
Eddie Howe Acknowledges Isak’s Desire to Leave
Speaking to the press—via quotes shared on X by Ben Jacobs—Howe confirmed that discussions had taken place regarding Isak’s future.
This doesn’t reflect well on Newcastle, especially after they portrayed the former Real Sociedad star as uncooperative for refusing to participate in pre-season training.
To be fair to Newcastle, they have every right to line up a replacement before letting a key player leave.
Still, it’s understandable why Isak’s camp is frustrated with the club’s sluggish and seemingly disorganised approach to the summer window.
Joao Pedro has joined Chelsea, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko have gone to Manchester United, and it remains uncertain whether Newcastle can successfully bring in Yoane Wissa.
Calling it poor planning would be an understatement.
Newcastle Risking Their Long-Term Position
The mishandling of the Isak situation could be damaging Newcastle’s future prospects more than helping them.
Club leadership might argue that by keeping Isak, they at least retain one top-quality forward for now. But that raises another issue: do they really want to rely on a discontented and potentially uncooperative player?
And what about reintegrating him into the team—assuming he’s even willing?
There’s also the risk of his market value dropping significantly if he continues his stand-off into the 2025/26 season.
Is Newcastle ready to face that scenario, especially if they also fail to bring in Wissa or another capable replacement?
In trying to control the situation, the club may have made things far worse for themselves.
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