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Topics: Alexander Isak, Newcastle United, Premier League, Transfer News, Football, Liverpool, Arsenal
Tom Jenkins
Topics: Alexander Isak, Newcastle United, Premier League, Transfer News, Football, Liverpool, Arsenal
Alexander Isak has told Newcastle United he wants to 'explore a move away from the club' after the striker was left out of the club's pre-season tour to Singapore.
Isak made himself the hottest striker in the Premier League last season, scoring 23 goals as well as being the key man in the club's Carabao Cup victory.
Due to his standout performances, the Swedish international striker has been linked with the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Al Hilal so far this summer.
Newcastle have remained firm that the Swede is not for sale, but according to The Daily Mail, Isak has now taken the decision out of their hands.
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The report claims Isak has informed the club's hierarchy he wants to explore a move away from St James' Park, rather than sign a new deal with the Champions League club.
With Liverpool signing Hugo Ekitike for a fee of £79m, a deal looked off the cards but the bombshell report also reveals the Merseyside club are considering a British record deal of £150m could be on the cards.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano has also confirmed the news, and claimed Newcastle are already considering potential replacements.
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This comes after the 25-year-old was left out of the club's 30-man-squad for their pre-season tour in Asia, however, sources at Newcastle insisted this was due to an injury concern rather than transfer speculation.
"It was my decision. He travelled to Glasgow with us but I decided to send him home due to the speculation around him," Howe told reporters.
"The last thing he wanted was to be sat in the stand watching - that wasn't fair to him. But I'm confident he will be a Newcastle player come the end of the window.
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"Your top players are so hard to find, so hard to recruit and so hard to develop. So when you have them, you need to treasure them. Of course we're desperate to keep him as part of our team."
"Yes, I've had discussions with him, but that's not abnormal," said Howe. "I respect a player's career and how short it is. Alex has been really good, he's trained really well and I realise there'll be noise around him."