Newcastle refuse to deny Alexander Isak has gone AWOL after he returned to his old club to train while Toon are on tour in the Far East - as he hopes to force through record Liverpool move
The 25-year-old is not here in the Far East with Eddie Howe and his squad after he reported a thigh strain last week, even though a scan showed no damage. The club said then that flying would not be good for such an injury.
However, Isak has since flown to San Sebastian to use the training facilities at his former club Real Sociedad, sparking outrage among fans.
Newcastle have not denied that the Swede is AWOL.
His latest move raises the possibility of a club fine, if they determine he has left Tyneside without their knowledge. So far, Mail Sport has been told of nothing to suggest Newcastle were aware of Isak's intentions.
Supporters have not reacted kindly to him returning to his old club, when he should be working with Newcastle staff on his rehab, if he is injured.
One fan wrote: 'He's handling his departure terribly. He earned our love and respect over the years, and he's undermining it in a single month.'
Another added: 'Just take the money and end this fiasco.'
Isak is waiting for Liverpool to formalise what should be a British record offer, but his hopes of the move progressing have been hit by Newcastle's frustration in finding a replacement.
RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko was their top target but Manchester United have now made a move for the Slovenian. A deal is still active for Brentford's Yoane Wissa, while Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins and Jorgen Strand Larsen of Wolves are also on the shortlist.
Newcastle will not sell Isak if they believe the move is not right for the club, but events of the past seven days have made any potential reintegration extremely difficult.
The club were not commenting on the Isak situation on Thursday night.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
23 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Could Pep Guardiola's 'imminent' divorce 'hurt Man City'? Sources close to legendary boss say there is 'more urgency' to finalise split as start of season approaches
Pep Guardiola and his wife are set to divorce imminently, as fears grow that their split could hurt Manchester City. The details of the Spanish football manager's divorce from wife Cristina Serra are expected to be finalised within weeks and made official as early as next month, The Sun reports. The couple had hoped to keep their separation on friendly terms, but there is now 'more urgency' as their relationship seems to have deteriorated, sources said. Pep's relationship from estranged wife Cristina has reportedly moved from 'friendly to cordial' amid 'complicated negotiations'. Spanish journalists Laura Fa, who broke the story of their split said: 'The signing of this divorce is going to be imminent. Evidently their relationship sentimentally has come to an end.' And there are now fears his marriage troubles could overshadow the start of the new season, sources say. Daily Mail has approached Manchester City for comment. Pep, 54, and Cristina, 52, have been together for 30 years and got married in 2014. Cristina, who runs a fashion business, struggled to settle in Manchester and moved back to Spain five years ago. The couple reportedly agreed to go their separate ways in December shortly after he signed a new contract with the football club, with sources claiming that it was the last straw for Cristina. The estranged couple even hired the same lawyer to avoid a messy divorce. They both attended an Oasis concert in Heaton Park last month with their two children Maria, 24, and Marius, 22, but were not pictured together. The Manchester City's boss marriage troubles, which were first reported in January, also come during his worst slump as the club's manager. Pep has already said he will leave the club in 2027 after his contract runs out to 'focus on myself'. It was claimed back in April that the couple had been trying to give their marriage a second chance after Pep and his fashion entrepreneur wife spent three days together at their former Barcelona marital home over Easter. It was the second time since news of their shock split became public in January that the former Barcelona footballer had travelled to the Catalan capital and spent time with Cristina. Barcelona-based newspaper El Nacional said after the second reunion they were prepared to 'give each another chance' and claimed 'all was not lost in their marriage.' But the journalists who broke the story of their shock split have shot down the chances of a fresh start for Pep and Cristina after their decision to call time on their 30-year relationship. Lorena Vasquez, one of a duo of well-respected Spanish showbiz reporters who call themselves the Mamarazzis, went on a Spanish TV show in February to say they had launched divorce proceedings which were 'amicable' because they were using the same lawyer. She also linked the split again to the Man City manager's unexpected decision last November to renew his contract with the Premier League club until 2027.
Metro
24 minutes ago
- Metro
Benjamin Sesko U-turns over Man Utd transfer after Newcastle talks
RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has opted to join Newcastle United instead of Manchester United, according to reports in Slovenia. After missing out on deals to sign Liam Delap and Viktor Gyokeres, United have made Sesko their top striker target for the summer transfer window. However, Ruben Amorim's side face competition from Newcastle, who are also in the market to sign a new forward due to the uncertainty over Alexander Isak's future following a £110 million bid from Liverpool this week. Reports this week had claimed that Sesko's preference was a move to United ahead of Newcastle this summer. But according to Slovenian daily newspaper Delo, Newcastle have managed to convince Sesko to make the move to St James' Park. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. RB Leipzig are open to selling Sesko after missing out on European football for the upcoming season but he Bundesliga club are demanding a €75m (£65.4m) transfer fee. More Trending Arsenal had also held talks to sign Sesko this summer but did not follow up with an offer due to the costs of the deal. Sesko has scored 39 goals in 87 appearances since moving to RB Leipzig two years ago. The Slovenia international's decision to chose Newcastle represents another setback for Manchester United in their search for a striker. United have already made an approach to Aston Villa to sign Ollie Watkins but have been told that the 29-year-old is not for sale. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Bruno Fernandes receives new approach to leave Manchester United this summer MORE: Newcastle star suggests he can replace Alexander Isak: 'I like playing No.9' MORE: Newcastle want Man Utd transfer target if Alexander Isak joins Liverpool
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Why Lucas Paqueta must wait to learn if he can sue the FA - after being cleared of spot-fixing following two-year investigation
Lucas Paqueta faces another frustrating wait to discover if he has grounds to appeal against verdicts that he failed to comply with the FA's spot-fixing probe that could have ended his career. The Brazilian was cleared on Thursday of deliberately picking up four yellow cards to influence betting markets, almost two years after Mail Sport broke the news that the West Ham midfielder was under investigation. An independent commission found Paqueta guilty on two charges of failing to answer questions and provide information to the FA's investigation — he denied both — for which he is likely to be fined. Paqueta must now wait for the written judgment from the trial to be published, which Mail Sport understands could take two to three weeks, before deciding whether to launch an appeal. 'They are charges we take seriously — we do need to go through the process with them with the FA and the commission,' Alastair Campbell, head of Paqueta's legal team at London firm Level, told Mail Sport. 'We need to pay that due respect. We are obviously of the view that Lucas did co-operate with the investigation so we have to look at the reasons when they are available to advise him on that.' Mail Sport revealed on Friday that Paqueta would consider taking legal action against the FA for loss of earnings once the written reasons were published. The 27-year-old was on the verge of an £85million move to Manchester City when news of the investigation caused the deal to collapse. 'In terms of whether there might be any action against the FA, it's certainly something we'll look at when we get the reasons and advise Lucas on his options,' added Campbell. West Ham are unlikely to take legal action against the FA, with club insiders suggesting it would not be a good look for football to sue the game's custodians. The FA could launch their own appeal against Paqueta's acquittal over the spot-fixing charges when the judgment is published. They face the prospect of picking up the fee for Paqueta's legal bills, understood to be around £1.5m.
