Newcastle United's board has informed Alexander Isak that he will not be sold by the club this summer and will not be allowed to join Liverpool, as a show of the club's determination to keep him.
Newcastle's firm stance on the matter has caused tension with Isak, who has refused to accept the decision. As a result, head coach Eddie Howe has asked him to step away from the team's group activities and conduct individual training.
It is understood that Isak will not play for the club until he is willing to accept the fact that he will stay during this transfer window. This is a high-risk approach by Newcastle's owner, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), but they remain consistent in their stance on Isak.
When Liverpool's bid of around £110 million was rejected last week, Anfield learned that Newcastle had refused to consider selling Isak, so they decided to abandon the transfer. Liverpool stated that they will not make another bid unless Newcastle changes their stance, and even if Newcastle signs another striker, the possibility of selling Isak remains extremely slim.
Howe has been aware of the club's position for some time and has tried to smooth things over with the Swedish international, but this has proven difficult and has severely tested his patience. After his team drew 2-2 with Espanyol at St. James' Park on Friday night, Howe said that, in the current situation, it was "obvious" he “could not include Isak in the club's pre-season training.”
The forward informed the club's hierarchy that he wanted to explore his transfer options when the team traveled to Singapore for pre-season. Isak missed Newcastle's Asian tour due to a "minor thigh injury" but continued to train individually at former club Real Sociedad without Newcastle's permission.
