'My wish is.....': Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe explains his stance on the Alexander Isak issue

The biggest drama in the English Premier League right now is being played off the pitch. It features Newcastle United and their star strike Alexander Isak, with the bond getting brittle by the day. EPL's reigning champions Liverpool continue to be interested in Isak but with their initial bid rejected by Newcastle United, the Reds have made up their mind that they will have another go only if the Magpies change their current stance of Isak not being available for sale.

The thing to note here is that at the beginning of this transfer saga, Isak hadn't made any public statements on this topic, which made one assume that he is happy to continue at Newcastle United. The club too, understandably, felt the same and therefore, Liverpool's move also seemed more like an optimistic attempt than anything else. However, over the recent weeks, it has become clear that Isak doesn't want to stay but Newcastle United continue to be adamant about keeping Isak for now. This deadlock has affected the team's pre-season and manager Eddie Howe is visibly disappointed with the way things have panned out.

Isak didn't start in Newcastle's season opener which ended in a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa. In his absence, the team's attacking prowess lacked precision and Howe is aware of the problem at hand. However, he also knows that there is only way to handle the solution right now. With Newcastle rigid in their stance, it's up to Isak to adapt to the environment and Howe spoke about what he felt on the topic.

Interestingly, Newcastle's next fixture is a home game against Liverpool on Monday (August 25). The focus would have been exclusively on Isak if he were to play that game but in the current scenario, that doesn't seem likely.

"He’s contracted to us. He’s our player… and yes, 100% I want him back in a Newcastle shirt," said Howe as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.

“My wish is that he would be playing on Monday. He won’t be, that’s regrettable. But I still wait for him”.

Newcastle's frustration is understandable. They were keen on securing one of Hugo Ekitike or Benjamin Sesko, and had that plan worked, they may well have let Isak go, even if reluctantly. However, Ekitike ended up going to Anfield while Sesko's fixation for Old Trafford meant that he wasn't going anywhere, even with Newcastle offering a higher bid.

In Isak's absence, Antony Gordon found himself as the center forward with Harvey Barnes on the left and Anthony Elanga on the right. The creativity, however, was severely lacking as the Magpies fired 16 shots at goal but had only three on target. With Isak certain to miss the Liverpool fixture as well, all eyes will be on what tweak Howe gives to his formation and tactics for the big clash.