Eddie Howe has suggested that Newcastle’s hierarchy do not currently regard extending Alexander Isak’s contract as a priority and is challenging the out-of-form Sweden striker to change directors’ minds.
Isak is widely coveted, with Arsenal particularly keen admirers, but with his present deal running until 2028 and Newcastle constrained by the need to remain on the right side of profit and sustainability regulations, there seems a reluctance to imminently improve an existing agreement that already places Isak among the club’s highest earners.
“I want Alex to be focused on football,” said Howe as he prepared for Sunday’s trip to Chelsea at the start of a week also featuring a home midweek Carabao Cup tie against Enzo Maresca’s side followed by the Premier League visit of Arsenal. “If that’s him saying I’ve got four years left on my contract, I’m happy at the football club and I just want to play my best football, that’s the ideal world.
“But nothing in football’s straightforward so I’m sure there will be ongoing discussions between Alex, his representatives and the club. But my main job at the moment is just to get Alex fit and playing his best football, enjoying his best football and scoring goals.”
Howe remains determined to retain Isak but also knows that offering the 25-year-old a stratospheric new deal could prevent wider squad strengthening. “Alex can only help his situation by playing well,” said the manager. “Every decision we make has a knock-on effect. For contract renewals, there’s a knock-on effect for PSR and we have to make sure we don’t put ourselves in a position where we can’t act freely in the transfer windows because of what we’ve done with individual player contracts.
“It’s slightly complex. We have to be really careful regarding our spending. It’s not a clearcut situation with Alex. We love him and are desperate for him to stay for many years and score loads and loads of goals, but I don’t see a short-term issue with his contract.”
With Callum Wilson unavailable for the coming three games after experiencing “tightness” in his body following a recent recovery from back and hamstring injuries, Howe is heavily dependent on a striker he believes is largely without peer. By way of complication, Isak is still recovering from a broken toe. “Alex’s an outstanding talent, he can do everything,” Howe added. “He’s got incredible natural ability. Really good with the ball, really intelligent and a deadly goalscorer when he’s at his absolute best.
“I’d be very hesitant to swap him for anybody in world football but we haven’t quite seen that devastating, all round game so far this season. For me that’s been down to a couple of niggling injuries that keep setting him back. But I think he’s getting close to prime physical condition so this will be a big week for him.”
Howe acknowledges Newcastle need to also do their bit to keep Isak content. “One of the challenges we have is to continually drive the club forward,” he said. “It’s very easy to talk about ambition, but we have to show ambition. We have to give our best players an environment where they feel they’re flourishing. We don’t want to be disbanding our team every year.
“But a player also has to perform to high levels. If he’s saying he has huge ambitions, he has to be actually doing the business on the pitch - it’s a two-way thing.”
