Eddie Howe has admitted that his relationship with Alexander Isak was never the same after the striker refused to train in order to force through his record-breaking transfer to Liverpool on deadline day.
Isak completed a £125million switch to Anfield — the highest transfer fee ever paid by a British club — but the Newcastle boss has now spoken publicly for the first time about the fallout that preceded the move.
The Sweden international stunned Newcastle officials and supporters in August when he withdrew from training and released a statement accusing the club of breaking promises and claiming that trust had been “lost.”
Howe has consistently denied that any agreement existed allowing Isak to leave if a Champions League club made an offer, but conceded that their relationship deteriorated as a result of the standoff.
Eddie Howe initially wanted Alexander Isak to stay at Newcastle prior to his move to LIverpool
| PA“Alex and I always enjoyed a great relationship,” Howe said.
“I loved working with him and I hope he loved working with us. It was mutually beneficial. We helped him become the player that he in part is today.
"And he helped us as a team achieve some unbelievable milestones. He was part of a very successful team.
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“But to give you a bit more on that, the moment he went on strike our relationship did change. I think that was probably a turning point.
"Communication became difficult from that point onwards. I won’t go into any more detail than that.”
Isak was Newcastle’s top scorer last season, helping them reach the Champions League for the first time in two decades, but his departure left a huge void in Howe’s attack.
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Liverpool recently confirmed the signing of Alexander Isak in a £125million deal from Newcastle
| XThe Magpies moved quickly to sign Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade for £69m and DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa as part of their summer rebuild.
However, Wissa will not be available to make his debut against Wolves at St James’ Park on Saturday after returning from international duty with a knee injury.
The forward was hurt during DR Congo’s 3-2 defeat to Senegal on Tuesday and sent for a scan upon arriving back in England.
“Unfortunately he won’t make this game,” Howe confirmed.
“I saw him for the first time yesterday and he’s feeling the effects of the injury sustained just before he came off on Tuesday.
"We’re going to have to see how he is. It’s a knee injury but I don’t know any more than that.”
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Alexander Isak is expected to make his Liverpool debut this weekend
| REUTERSMeanwhile, fellow summer signing Jacob Ramsey has been ruled out until after the next international break with an ankle injury, meaning he could miss as many as seven matches.
Woltemade is now expected to make his debut against Wolves as Newcastle look to recover from a patchy start to the season and reassert themselves in the top-four race.