Alexander Isak left at home for Newcastle pre-season tour amid transfer rumours

Alexander Isak has not travelled with Newcastle’s squad for their pre-season tour to Singapore on Thursday.

The Swede has attracted interest from Liverpool this summer while also being linked with a money-spinning move to Saudi Arabia.

Isak was left out of Newcastle’s pre-season clash at Celtic on Saturday with boss Eddie Howe admitting he wanted to remove him from ‘scrutiny’ over speculation he may leave the club.

The Toon manager later revealed that his star striker would be part of his side’s tour of Asia; however, that has not proved to be the case.

Newcastle have now confirmed that Isak has been omitted from their travelling squad due to an apparent thigh issue he is struggling with.

A statement on the club’s website read: “Eddie Howe has an almost fully-fit squad to choose from, however Alexander Isak misses out with a minor thigh injury.”

Isak trained with his Newcastle teammates during a pre-season camp in Austria earlier this month.

However, footage surfaced of the striker apparently undergoing individual sessions away from the main group on Tuesday.

The images were made public on the same day talkSPORT reported that Isak had hit Newcastle with a blockbuster wage demand of £300,000 a week.

Reacting to that news, Simon Jordan said: “There is a part of me that understands that he signed a long-term contract and they don’t have to do anything of the sorts.

“I think that he is worth, to Newcastle, whatever they’re prepared to pay, and there is a certain limitation to that because it isn’t just what you do for Isak; It’s what you then have to do to others as a result.”

“Besides bad form and being a bad actor, he has no leverage,” Jordan added.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have already signed one striker already after confirming the arrival of Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Reds have been on the lookout for a new striker with Darwin Nunez on the market and valued at £59million.

As a prelude to their Ekitike interest, Liverpool indicated to Newcastle that they would be willing to pay a British record £120m for Isak.

The Magpies, though, value the player at £150m.

With Newcastle refusing to budge, Liverpool instead turned to Ekitike, where they swiftly wrapped up a deal to sign him.

Isak enjoyed his best goalscoring return ever last term, registering 23 goals in 34 league fixtures last term.

The 25-year-old’s impressive goal haul helped the Magpies finish fifth and secure a Champions League berth for the 2025/26 campaign.

He also played a starring role in helping Newcastle end their 70-year wait for a trophy as they beat Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final last March.

In total, Isak has netted an impressive 62 goals in 109 appearances for Newcastle since his arrival from Real Sociedad.