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Newcastle United’s wantaway striker Alexander Isak will not be in the squad when they host Premier League champions Liverpool on Monday, said boss Eddie Howe, who called the tense standoff a “lose-lose” situation.
Isak was the subject of a 110 million pounds ($148.34 million) bid from Liverpool earlier this month, according to media reports, and in a social media post on Tuesday accused Newcastle of breaking promises.
Newcastle responded by saying there had been no commitment to sell the 25-year-old who is under contract until 2028.
“There’s been no change,” Howe told reporters on Friday. “It’s a lose-lose situation. I don’t think we can come out of this winning in any situation.”
Should Isak still be under contract at Newcastle when the transfer window closes on September 1, Howe said he and the players would welcome him back into the squad.
“I have no doubt about how the players will feel. They will feel the same way I do. Alex is a fantastic player, he’s a good person, a good character and a good lad,” Howe said. “If Alex wanted to come back and play for us, the players would welcome him.
“100 percent I want to see him back in a Newcastle shirt.”
Howe said he has not seen Isak, who is not training with the team, this week, adding that conversation between the two has otherwise been normal.
“There’s no issues there. Of course it’s a difficult situation from both sides and it’s far from ideal for both parties,” he said. “When we bump in to each other, we speak but as I say I’ve not seen him this week as he’s training later on and detached from the group.”
When asked about the public statements from Isak and the club earlier this week, the manager said he prefers that “it doesn’t happen publicly.”
“Everything is better dealt with behind closed doors but in this situation, needs must and in this situation the club has spoken and justifiably so in that moment,” he added.
Howe is confident Newcastle’s supporters could forgive Isak if he comes back into the team.
“The supporters will always react off how a player plays and what he gives the team,” Howe said. “There is always two sides to every story.”

DUBAI: The FIA has announced that it will have a tender process for the commercial rights of the FIA World Rally Championship, which ends this season in ����ֱ��.

This follows extensive discussions by the FIA, the global governing body for motorsport and the federation for mobility organizations worldwide, with Red Bull and KW25, the current rights holders.

The FIA World Rally Championship has surged in popularity in recent years, with a cumulative television audience of 1.3 billion, and over 4 million on-site visitors in 2024.

The next round of the championship is on Aug. 28 at the Rally del Paraguay, which is making its debut as a host country this year.  The WRC Rally ����ֱ��, another debut event, rounds of the championship in Jeddah from Nov. 26 to 29.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA’s president, said in a statement: “The FIA World Rally Championship is at an exciting moment in its history. Millions of fans around the world are following the action, and new, younger audiences are driving its global growth.”

He added: “This process is an important step and will shape the long-term vision for the WRC, and I am confident that, together with the right partner, we can take the championship to the next level, preserve its proud heritage, and grow its global reach for generations of fans to come.”

In the statement, the FIA said its priority is to ensure that the WRC delivers value to all its stakeholders, including drivers, teams, manufacturers, organizers and fans, while also preserving its strong heritage.

J.P. Morgan, the global financial services company, will be acting as advisor to Red Bull and KW25 through the tender process.

Malcolm Wilson, the FIA’s deputy president for sport, said: “The FIA World Rally Championship is the longest-running motorsport series of its kind, one of the most thrilling competitions in the world, with a unique heritage and an exciting growth trajectory ahead.

“The tender process for the commercial rights holder is a big opportunity for a new enterprise to take the Championship into its next chapter with renewed energy and investment.”