Howe: I don’t see Isak facing Villans

ALEXANDER Isak continues to train in isolation at Newcastle United’s Benton base with Eddie Howe making it clear over the weekend he is unlikely to feature against Aston Villa in the Premier League curtain raiser.

- By LEE RYDER Chief Newcastle writer lee.ryder@reachplecom @lee_ryder

Of course, in football things can change quickly, but Howe revealed on Saturday night that it had not been easy to talk to the Sweden striker, and if he'd been able to persuade the centre-forward to pull on a black and white shirt, that would have been resolved by now.

So what happens now for Newcastle and Isak? For a start, United continue to look for a new striker capable of filling Isak’s boots with Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis the latest name that has been put to the Magpies by intermediaries, although he is on a list of possibilities.

Newcastle are also yet to get an increased offer for Isak with the last bid from Liverpool coming on August 1 from the Reds. That offer, worth around £110m, was swiftly rejected.

What must follow is a heftier bid, there has been talk of £150m but others on the agent circuit have suggested that £130m plus addons may yet offer a breakthrough.

Either way Isak has been handed an ultimatum, no serious offer — no transfer.