Sky Sports activities Information’ Keith Downie solutions the important thing questions round Alexander Isak’s Newcastle future, the membership’s irritating summer time switch window to this point and the place they should strengthen…
What’s taking place with Alexander Isak after he sat out the pleasant in opposition to Celtic?
The plan is for Isak to journey with the squad to Singapore after which on to South Korea on Thursday.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe says he can be on the journey, and I might anticipate him to be there and could be very stunned if he wasn’t. If he wasn’t on the journey, that may forged additional doubt over his future.
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Eddie Howe says he’s ‘assured’ Alexander Isak will keep at Newcastle
Isak was unnoticed of Saturday’s defeat at Celtic to handle his minutes, however does Howe must handle his minutes? I’m fairly sure he was going to be unnoticed in opposition to Celtic – like Joelinton was – however he was allowed to go house moderately than sit within the stands.
Howe mentioned that was to guard him from the hypothesis, and in some ways, that’s good administration. Nevertheless it additionally means that Isak has been affected by what is going on on.
I might think about talks are happening behind the scenes to aim to get his head into place as Newcastle proceed their pre-season preparations.
With Liverpool agreeing a payment for Hugo Ekitike and Arsenal closing in on Viktor Gyokeres, what choices would Isak have if he left Newcastle?
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Sky Sports activities’ Sam Blitz explains why Liverpool could also be getting the ‘subsequent’ Alexander Isak in Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool would seemingly have been the transfer that appealed to Isak most. I do not see him shifting to Saudi Arabia at this level in his profession, regardless of experiences that Al Hilal have an interest.
I might be massively stunned if Liverpool got here in for Isak on the again of signing Ekitike. I am unable to see them signing each with out promoting different gamers themselves, so Ekitike’s Liverpool transfer means that Isak will keep at Newcastle.
I do assume Liverpool’s casual strategy for Isak has affected him somewhat bit.
He and the membership are actually going to need to discover a method to make him really feel content material for the brand new season, whether or not that’s agreeing a brand new contract, or a pay rise that brings him in keeping with what he would’ve earned at Liverpool. Or he simply will get his head down and does what he does finest.
In case you’d requested me about Isak earlier than Ektiike had gone to Liverpool, it felt to me like there was a possible Isak may need gone after what occurred at Celtic. Nevertheless, with Ekitike going to Liverpool, I really feel Isak is prone to stay as a Newcastle participant this season.
Is his £150m plus price ticket a sensible valuation from Newcastle?
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Newcastle signing Anthony Elanga says he cannot wait to hitch up together with his Sweden team-mate Isak at Newcastle
The phrase from Newcastle is that they’d need at the very least £150m for Isak.
Newcastle really feel that, as patrons, a Newcastle tax is added to gamers as a result of different golf equipment wrongly assume they’ve countless pots of cash to spend. However that could not be farther from the reality once they have been battling PSR points as they’ve been over the previous few years.
The £150m valuation is setting the bar excessive, however I feel if a deal had occurred – or was to occur – I might see it being extra seemingly across the £130m mark, which might nonetheless be a Premier League file and completely smash Newcastle’s file sale.
They’re very conscious they’ve a big-money participant on their fingers, however they need to benefit from the fruits of their labour with him. Howe and his workers have put in lots of exhausting work with Isak over the past two or three years, they usually need to get pleasure from that for at the very least one other season.
Howe is determined to maintain maintain of Isak, however so are the membership’s homeowners, and Howe reaffirmed on the weekend that everybody is aligned on that on the membership. They need Isak to stay for at the very least one other season to spearhead their double-pronged assault on the Premier League and the Champions League this season.
Does the Isak state of affairs counsel there are issues in regards to the path Newcastle are going amongst their star gamers?
I do not assume there are issues from gamers in regards to the path of the membership. The scenes on the streets of Newcastle once they received the Carabao Cup made them realise Newcastle are moving into the suitable path. Can Newcastle get their fast sufficient with their PSR restrictions for the likes of Isak to grasp their goals? I’m not so sure.
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Highlights from Newcastle’s Carabao Cup closing win over Liverpool
Isak is extra prone to realise his goals taking part in for a Liverpool or a Actual Madrid, who frequently compete in Champions League finals, win league titles and crucially pay prime greenback. He earns large cash at Newcastle – he’s their highest earner – however he’s far off the best earners within the Premier League. He is aware of he is likely one of the finest gamers within the Premier League and feels his pay must be reflective of that.
The likes of Isak, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes have been a bit pissed off over time as a result of they really feel like they’ve needed to take lots of the load on with out the membership making new signings to assist them. On the finish of final season, Bruno appealed to the membership to make signings this window. I feel the gamers themselves can be pissed off {that a} clutch of recent gamers have not arrived but to assist them.
You have to hope that they are getting assurances behind the scenes that the membership are working exhausting to convey gamers in to assist them with what will be an elevated load this season.
What do the missed switch targets say in regards to the notion of the membership from the surface?
Newcastle have missed out on quite a few targets this summer time, together with Liam Delap, Matheus Cunha, Dean Huijsen, Bryan Mbeumo, Joao Pedro and Hugo Ekitike, making it a really irritating summer time for Howe.
I nonetheless assume Newcastle have a battle on their fingers on the subject of geography. I do not assume being primarily based within the North East is that enticing to some gamers. Relating to Newcastle being up in opposition to a London membership, Newcastle are inclined to lose out.
Newcastle cannot pay the large wages that lots of the prime golf equipment can. Mbeumo is incomes extra at Man Utd than he could be at Newcastle.
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Bryan Mbeumo sits down for his first interview as a Manchester United participant, describing his pleasure at lastly signing with the membership. Credit score: MUTV
They’ve been very unfortunate this summer time as a result of there have been such a small group of gamers accessible, and it appears like the entire large groups are battling for his or her signatures. That is why these gamers have been in a position to decide on the place they need to go.
I additionally assume Newcastle haven’t been helped by not having a sporting director following the exit of Paul Mitchell. Howe has needed to step up and carry out that position subsequent to his nephew, Andy Howe, within the recruitment division. Not having that assist from above to shut offers has price Newcastle at occasions, as a result of it’s a lot to ask the likes of Eddie and Andy to do once they have their very own roles to carry out.
How pissed off is Howe by the departure of Mitchell as sporting director, and what had been the explanations for this?
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Paul Mitchell has left his position as sporting director position at Newcastle
You can inform from what Howe mentioned on Saturday that he’s pissed off about Mitchell’s departure, particularly with the timing as nicely.
He mentioned he was on day two of his household vacation when his cellphone exploded. The larger difficulty for Howe is that he isn’t been changed. The timing of simply going into the switch window has put lots of stress on Howe’s shoulders, and it has most likely price Newcastle within the switch market.
It’s no secret that Howe and Mitchell did not see eye to eye, so it did really feel like one thing needed to give there. However the timing going into the window has been actually dangerous for Newcastle.
The actual fact they’ve not had a succession plan hasn’t gone down nicely with Howe and the Newcastle followers.
Will they remorse permitting Callum Wilson to depart now?
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Callum Wilson has left Newcastle after his contract expired
That was Wilson’s determination. Newcastle did provide him a brand new deal on decrease wages, and whereas Howe would have appreciated him to have stayed, I feel they perceive Wilson’s standpoint.
I do not assume they will remorse it as a result of Wilson is 33 and has been carrying lots of accidents. He wasn’t accessible lots of final season, and one thing needed to give there.
Newcastle have additionally lined up Wilson’s substitute in Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, whom I anticipate the membership to finish a deal for within the subsequent couple of days. Regardless of having a £25m bid turned down for the 28-year-old, the membership will return in with an improved £30m plus add-ons provide for the DR Congo worldwide.
Howe mentioned he ‘did not need to lose’ Sean Longstaff after his transfer to Leeds – was there stress on Newcastle to promote him?
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Check out Sean Longstaff’s finest Premier League targets after he left Newcastle for Leeds
The sale of Longstaff is pure revenue, as he’s an academy graduate, and it is sensible with regard to that. He additionally wasn’t within the staff towards the top of the season.
I can perceive why he needed to depart – and why it made sense for Newcastle to money in on a participant with only one 12 months left on his deal. If he had been to stay, they’d have obtained nothing for him subsequent summer time, so financially it’s the proper determination, nevertheless it leaves Newcastle having to interchange him once more.
Newcastle have, over the previous few years, by their very own admission, not bought or traded nicely sufficient. However the sale of Longstaff exhibits they’re studying how to do this within the framework of PSR. Nevertheless, it leaves them with one other downside, as a result of he must be changed.
Anthony Elanga has been signed – what different positions are Newcastle attempting to signal?
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New Newcastle signing Anthony Elanga demonstrates his searing velocity by blazing via 100m in underneath 11 seconds
Precedence positions are nonetheless a right-sided centre-back and a striker, and I anticipate them so as to add each.
Wissa is about to be the striker introduced in, which was a place that was wanted even with no potential Isak departure. If he had been to go, they would want two strikers.
Howe would really like one other goalkeeper, which is why there was a protracted chase for Burnley shotstopper James Trafford. I really feel like that precedence has dropped down somewhat bit, and if there was one place they may maybe depart till January or subsequent summer time, it might be goalkeeper.
They positively wanted a proper winger they usually obtained Elanga. I really feel like Longstaff will want changing, so it is going to be fascinating to see in the event that they go in for one more midfielder, however I feel central defence and striker are their absolute priorities proper now.
This was presupposed to be the summer time the place Newcastle had cash to spend after PSR restrictions – how alarmed ought to supporters be with the summer time to this point?
They do have cash to spend on this switch window, however Anthony Elanga apart, they’ve mainly been unable to spend it. That is because of the market, the elevated costs and competitors for the small group of gamers I discussed already.
They do not need to spend their cash on simply anybody. Howe stresses time and time once more that they do not need to convey the fallacious gamers in and waste cash on signings which may not work out. He has his switch targets and needs to stay to them. So whereas Ekitike wasn’t essentially considered one of their No 1 targets, he was somebody they’d on their listing for a while. How far are they down that listing? We do not know, but when Newcastle had been to signal a couple of gamers now, I might counsel they would not be prime of that listing as a result of we all know they’ve missed out on a quantity already.
The constructive for the supporters is that the cash continues to be there and accessible. I might anticipate them so as to add at the very least a pair extra gamers earlier than the beginning of the season as a result of the squad desperately wants assist.
The membership are but to interchange Darren Eales at CEO stage – is a scarcity of management on the prime a problem and having a knock-on affect on the staff?
No, indirectly. However not directly, it’s having an impact on the gamers. Had there been a brand new sporting director and a brand new CEO in place, new contract talks for Isak might probably have began.
It appears like there’s a little bit of a vacuum on the membership.
It’s fascinating to notice that Newcastle appointed a brand new technical director on Monday to return in and assist.
However having no sporting director in place is partly the rationale why there was a scarcity of signings and why contract talks have been on maintain or have but to start out for sure gamers.
