Why Alexander Isak Was Not Featured in Newcastle’s 4-0 Loss to Celtic Amid Transfer Interest

Newcastle’s pre-season friendly against Celtic ended in a 4-0 defeat, but attention quickly turned to the absence of star striker Alexander Isak from the squad.

Isak was noticeably missing from the starting lineup and the substitutes’ list announced before the match. Speculation had been mounting over his status, especially with ongoing interest from Liverpool, a club willing to break the British transfer record to secure him, should Newcastle decide to sell.

Liverpool shifted their focus to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, another target for Newcastle. Meanwhile, fans expressed concern over Isak’s absence, fueling rumors of a potential transfer.

After the game, manager Eddie Howe clarified that the decision to exclude Isak was his own. He stated, “I chose to send him home. If he wasn’t going to play, it was better for him to avoid sitting in the stands and facing scrutiny.” Howe explained that Isak traveled back to Glasgow with the team but was sent home due to the swirling transfer speculation.

Howe emphasized that Isak is fit and trains well but remains a valuable, “irreplaceable” player for Newcastle. The club has publicly maintained that Isak is not for sale, with three years remaining on his contract, and are not under pressure to sell.

This stance leaves the door open for ongoing transfer discussions, especially given the interest from Liverpool. Howe added, “Alex loves the team and staff, and I believe he’ll be here at the start of the season.”

The match was Newcastle’s first official pre-season game, following a behind-closed-doors win over Carlisle United. The Scottish champions, Celtic, dominated the game, scoring four goals through Arne Engels, Johnny Kenny, Yang Hjun-jun, and Liam Scales, leaving Newcastle to reflect on their challenging start to the season preparations.