Newcastle United step into their Premier League opener against Aston Villa with one of their most important players still training away from the squad and a cloud of transfer uncertainty hanging over the club.
Sweden striker Alexander Isak reportedly remains unwilling to rejoin team sessions, leaving head coach Eddie Howe facing a major selection gap as he prepares for Saturday’s trip to Villa Park.
Although there have reportedly been no new approaches from Liverpool, Eddie Howe admitted his efforts to bring the forward back into the team have not worked so far.
Speaking at his first league press conference of the season, Howe said [via ChronicleLive]: “No, there has been no change, all my focus has been on training and Villa and the transfer front.
That is all-consuming, Alex’s situation has been unchanged for a while, and that will continue to be the case.
I said many times this summer, I want him to train, I want him to play. But I think those conversations need to remain private.”
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The manager stressed his good working relationship with the forward, while acknowledging that Isak’s absence or presence will not stop the club from moving for another striker.
“We are looking to sign a striker and the best one we can. It’s a very small field, though. Irrespective of Isak’s situation, we need to sign a striker,” he said.
Newcastle United chase Porto’s star as Eddie Howe looks for another striker
With Isak’s future unresolved, Newcastle’s recruitment team has been busy pursuing reinforcements.
According to Football Insider, the club is expected to make a formal offer “imminently” for 21-year-old Porto striker Samu Aghehowa.
However, they face stiff competition from Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Juventus.
This comes after a frustrating summer in which the Magpies lost several forward targets, including Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United and Hugo Ekitike to Liverpool.
Howe’s side is also keeping tabs on Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson as another option.
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