Newcastle offer Isak ‘release clause’ in new contract offer as Howe responds to Liverpool bid

Newcastle have reportedly offered Alexander Isak a new contract with a release clause as Eddie Howe responds to Liverpool’s rejected bid for the Sweden international.

The Reds made a £110m bid for Isak on Friday, which was quickly rejected by Newcastle, who are holding out for £150m, with transfer expert Ben Jacobs suggesting Liverpool are now pulling out of negotiations.

Jacobs wrote on X: “Exclusive: Liverpool have no plans as it stands to bid again for Alexander Isak this window. Nature of #NUFC’s rebuttal means Liverpool will NOT follow up with a second offer. Regarded as futile unless Newcastle change their stance and contact Liverpool.

“Offer rejected was £110m. Terms with Isak not a problem.”

When asked about the Liverpool bid and Isak’s future, Eddie Howe confirmed while on pre-season tour in South Korea that “we still support Alex in every way”.

Howe told Chronicle Live: “From my situation I am very much removed from what was happening back home. I was made aware of a bid yesterday and that bid was turned down all before I even heard about.

“People back in England are dealing with the situation.

“I really don’t know what happens next. From our perspective, we still support Alex in every way, and my wish is that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again.”

Howe was then asked if he was upset with Liverpool for unsettling Isak. The head coach said: “It is difficult because you don’t know what is going to happen. There can be all sorts of talk and hypothetical situations but then you are dealing with reality.

“The reality is we had the first bid from Liverpool yesterday. I believe that was turned down, from this point onwards let’s see what happens.

“I have no idea to try to predict that. In terms of trying to upset players, from my perspective, we can only talk about us, we try to do things the right way, signing players is always complex, we just try to do what we think is right.

“I can’t talk about other clubs, that is not for me to say.”

In the article detailing Liverpool’s failed bid for Isak, The Athletic revealed that Newcastle’s latest new contract offer included a release clause next summer.

David Ornstein revealed: ‘Newcastle have tried to tie Isak to an improved contract, which would have included a release clause next summer, and encouraged him to stay in the north east through senior team-mates. But the 25-year-old has not changed his stance, which has been made clear to the club by Isak and his representatives for some time.’

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In quite the day of turnarounds, reports now suggest that Newcastle are now set to beat Manchester United to the signing of Benjamin Sesko after it was previously claimed the RB Leipzig was leaning towards a move to Old Trafford.

Asked about Newcastle’s interest in Sesko, Howe said: “I am sorry to sound like a broken record, I am aware of what is happening but I am not dealing with it. I woke up today and had two training sessions then came straight here.

“I am finding out what is happening after it has happened, so we will try to bring the best to the football club – I will make that clear – but I can’t talk about individual targets.”

Howe was also asked whether there was a scenario that may exist that he signs Sesko and keeps Isak, adding: “We are looking at the best players we can get.

“We are only looking at the best we can get, I see all situations open and available to us. I feel that is the only way we are going to get where we want to go, which is to maximise quality over quantity.

“That is the way it has always been, the way we work, we try to improve, we have don it pretty well to this point.

“It has been a challenging summer as you know. We have missed out on loads of different targets for different reasons.

“But we are still very competitive and we are still in there trying to bring good players to the club, that won’t change until the window shuts.”