Eddie Howe has revealed that his relationship with Alexander Isak broke down after the striker refused to train in order to force through his £125 million British record transfer to Liverpool.
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Isak Forces Liverpool Switch
Isak officially joined Liverpool on deadline day after weeks of tension at Newcastle. The Swedish international skipped Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Singapore and South Korea, with the club citing a minor injury at the time.
Instead, he trained privately at his former club Real Sociedad and later on his own, distancing himself from Howe’s squad.
Howe had been a key figure in Isak’s rise since signing him from Sociedad. The 25-year-old played a huge role in Newcastle’s revival, firing them to Champions League qualification and ending their 56-year trophy drought.
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Howe Opens Up on Strained Relationship
Speaking to reporters, Howe admitted things changed once Isak refused to play:
“Alex and I always had a good relationship. I loved working with him, and I hope he enjoyed working with us. But the moment he went on strike, our relationship changed. Communication became difficult from that point onwards.”
Newcastle’s Replacements
Following Isak’s exit, Newcastle moved quickly to bring in reinforcements. The club signed Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart and Yoane Wissa from Brentford.
- Woltemade could debut this weekend against Wolves at St James’ Park.
- Wissa, however, has returned from international duty with a knee problem that may also rule him out of Newcastle’s Champions League opener against Barcelona.
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