Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has finally broken his silence on the Alexander Isak transfer saga, and it's about bloody time!
Howe's having a mare with Isak
The Sweden striker has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately, with rumours swirling that he wants out of St James' Park. Liverpool and some Saudi outfit are reportedly keen on signing him, but Newcastle are holding out for a whopping £150million. Good luck with that, mate!
Howe was grilled by the media ahead of Newcastle's friendly against Arsenal on Sunday, and he didn't exactly inspire confidence. "Of course there's things going on behind the scenes," the Toon boss said. No shit, Sherlock!
"He will be aware he's in the news every day, and I'm sure that's not easy for anyone in that situation. Conversations that happen between Alex and the club or Alex and myself will stay private for obvious reasons. We do share a really good relationship with him."
Well, that's just great, isn't it? The bloke wants to leave, and Howe is talking about how much he loves him. Get a grip, man!
Howe's delusional about Isak's future
"He's been magnificent for us and he’s very popular in the dressing room. We'd love him to continue his journey at Newcastle. I certainly hope he stays. And I said [last weekend] I was confident that he'd stay. I don't see anything that's going to change that opinion of mine at the moment, but it's football and who knows what the future may bring."
Howe is living in a fantasy land if he thinks Isak is going to stick around. The lad has made it clear he wants out, and no amount of sweet talk from the gaffer is going to change that.
Newcastle's transfer window has been a shambles
After the high of qualifying for next season's Champions League, the Magpies have had a shocker of a summer transfer window. They've missed out on numerous targets, including Hugo Ekitike and Joao Pedro, who joined Liverpool and Chelsea respectively. Top goalkeeper target James Trafford has also snubbed a move to St James' Park in favour of Manchester City.
Howe insists his side can still emerge from the summer window in a strong position, but I wouldn't hold my breath. "I wouldn't put a timescale on it," he said. "I think with these situations it has to be right for the football club, and everything then is taken into context below that."
Well, that's reassuring. Not. Newcastle better get their act together soon, or they're going to be in for a long season.
