NEWCASTLE, England (AP) — Alexander Isaac remains unable to make a choice due to Newcastle’s choice towards the start of the Premier League season amid continuing uncertainty about the future of the Swedish striker at the club.
Isaac was eligible for bids from Liverpool during the offseason, training away from the Newcastle team, indicating he wanted to explore his options.
“The situation for Alex has not changed for some time,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said Friday a day before the team’s league opening game at Aston Villa.
Hau did not argue whether he asked Isaac to face Villa.
However, he said the offseason was challenging given the lack of a star striker on the team.
“It’s certainly true that last season, I wasn’t saying it was a difficult time for players because for us, change is always difficult to respond,” Howe said. “You can see that this summer in the early preseason performances.
“But I think the players are really strong mentally. They’re a really tight group and they’re really coming together late in the preseason.”
Howe said his players know that the situation is “not ideal,” but “without Alex, they realised that everyone needs to step up and give more.”
Isaac, who joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022, scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season, finishing second on the scoring chart behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Sarah.
Newcastle is close to signing villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey, but Howe said players will not be in the game on Saturday.
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