Alexander Isak: Newcastle striker does not travel on club’s Asia pre-season tour amid transfer speculation | Football News

Alexander Isak is not part of Newcastle’s squad for their pre-season tour of Asia.

Newcastle say that he is missing the 10-day tour to Singapore and South Korea due to a “minor thigh issue”. The club claim the injury is best served by not having to face long-haul travel and playing three games in 12 days.

It is the latest absence from Isak in terms of on-pitch availability, after he missed the 4-0 pre-season defeat to Celtic last weekend.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said that Isak missed the Celtic game due to being affected by transfer speculation.

Isak is a target for Liverpool this summer after the Premier League champions enquired about the Sweden international.

Liverpool have since moved for Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike – who Newcastle wanted as well – in a £79m deal.

Analysis: How much would it take for Newcastle to sell Isak?

Sky Sports News’ Keith Downie:

The word from Newcastle is that they would want at least £150m for Isak.

Newcastle feel that, as buyers, a Newcastle tax is added to players because other clubs wrongly assume they have endless pots of money to spend. But that couldn’t be further from the truth when they have been battling PSR issues as they have been over the past few years.

The £150m valuation is setting the bar high, but I think if a deal had happened – or was to happen – I would see it being more likely around the £130m mark, which would still be a Premier League record and absolutely smash Newcastle’s record sale.

They’re very aware they have a big-money player on their hands, but they want to enjoy the fruits of their labour with him. Howe and his staff have put in a lot of hard work with Isak over the last two or three years, and they want to enjoy that for at least another season.

Howe is desperate to keep hold of Isak, but so are the club’s owners, and Howe reaffirmed on the weekend that everyone is aligned on that at the club. They want Isak to remain for at least another season to spearhead their double-pronged attack on the Premier League and the Champions League this season.

What Howe said about Isak at the weekend

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe speaking after the 4-0 defeat to Celtic last Saturday:

“It was my decision. He travelled to Glasgow with us but I decided to send him home due to the speculation around him.

“The last thing he wanted is to be sat in the stands watching, that wasn’t fair to him. But I’m confident he will be a Newcastle player come the end of the window.

“Both [Joelinton and Isak] are fit. But we just felt they weren’t ready to play.

“We have a few of those players who are irreplaceable. 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.

“I’ve had discussions with him, but that’s not abnormal. 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.”

Newcastle’s pre-season games

Tour of Asia

Sunday: Arsenal – Singapore National Stadium, kick-off 12.30pm
Wednesday: K-League Select XI – Suwon World Cup Stadium, kick-off 12pm
August 3: Tottenham – Seoul World Cup Stadium, kick-off 12pm

Remaining pre-season matches

August 8: Espanyol – St James’ Park, kick-off 7.30pm
August 9: Atletico Madrid – St James’ Park, kick-off 4pm

Newcastle’s pre-season tour squad in full

Goalkeepers: Odysseas Vlachodimos, Nick Pope, John Ruddy, Max Thompson, Mark Gillespie.

Defenders: Emil Krafth, Harrison Ashby, Sven Botman, Matt Targett, Kieran Trippier, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar, Jamaal Lascelles, Dan Burn, Alex Murphy.

Midfielders: Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Lewis Miley, Sandro Tonali, Joe Willock, Anthony Munda, Travis Hernes, Alfie Harrison.

Forwards: Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy, William Osula, Anthony Elanga, Anthony Gordon, Sean Neave.