Topics: Alexander Isak, Newcastle United, Liverpool, Football, Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe was caught off guard after a Sky Sports reporter informed him of a major Alexander Isak update following Newcastle United's crushing defeat to Liverpool.
16-year-old Rio Ngumoha scored a last-gasp winner after Newcastle had pegged back Liverpool from two goals down in Monday's thrilling Premier League fixture.
The St. James' Park clash lived up to its billing after much of the talk was dominated by Isak, who is hellbent on leaving Newcastle to join Liverpool.
His future remains clouded by uncertainty as Newcastle look for a quick resolution ahead of next month's transfer deadline.
Advert
In an attempt to convince him to stay at the club and return to Howe's squad, Newcastle co-owner Jamie Reuben and a PIF delegation paid a visit to Isak's home to hold talks.
Reuben and Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan watched the game unfold as they were seated in the stands.
Speaking after the result, Howe was asked about Isak's situation and him being visited by Reuben.
But Howe was unaware of the showdown discussions that took place between the club chief and the Swede.
"I wasn't aware of that," he said of the meeting. "Obviously talks have been going on since Alex [Isak] decided to not go on tour with us and I've concentrated on coaching the team, so I've got no update for you."
For the second game in a row, Isak was unavailable for Newcastle, who have collected one point from their opening two league games of the new season.
Henry joined Carragher and host Dave Jones on Monday Night Football and, naturally, they were both asked about Isak's transfer saga.
The Arsenal legend believes that the 'best thing' will be for the star forward to leave Newcastle.
"At one point you don't want to put yourself in a situation where you don't come to training," he said on Sky Sports.
"In an ideal world the best thing is for him to leave. If someone makes a mistake, if they apologise we can move on. He scores goals, Newcastle fans will be ok. The best right now is if he goes. We don't know what has been said. He needs to apologise if he is to come back."
As for Carragher, he is also convinced that Newcastle should sell Isak before the September 1 transfer deadline.
"I still think it's a toss of the coin," he added. "A deal was never going to get done before this game.
"It feels like Isak or no one. I don't think he's as durable as Mohamed Salah. I think Newcastle should sell Isak. It's a cloud over the club constantly. We had this with Torres at Liverpool, he didn't want to be there and ended up staying.
"Isak is a player who wants to win the Champions League. When you've got a player who doesn't want to be there it can be an absolute nightmare."
