‘Everything in play’ over Isak future – Howe

Eddie Howe says “everything is in play” with Alexander Isak – but the Newcastle United manager needs players that “really want to play” for the club.

Isak has been training away from his team-mates after Howe said it was “clear at the moment that we can’t involve him with the group”.

The striker was the subject of a £110m bid from Liverpool last week, which was rejected by Newcastle.

Howe said he was not aware of the club’s owners informing Isak he won’t be sold after the Sweden international indicated that he wished to explore his options.

But the head coach stressed “there are discussions going on all the time that I’m not party to”.

“I think everything is in play,” Howe said after Newcastle’s 2-0 defeat in a friendly against Atletico Madrid on Saturday. “I’ve said many times he is contracted to us. He is our player. The club make the decision on his future.

“I don’t know what that will be. Of course I have a preferred outcome. I want the best and the strongest squad possible, but I also want players that really want to play for this football club.”

Isak missed Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia with a “minor thigh injury”, but the 25-year-old went on to train alone at former club Real Sociedad.

Howe previously warned no player could expect to act “poorly and train with the group as normal”, but he made it clear that he would like Isak “to be playing today”.

Howe was asked what would have to change for that to happen.

It fell to Anthony Gordon to lead the line in Isak’s continued absence for Newcastle’s final friendly of the summer against Atletico.

And there were some anxious faces on the bench after the winger went down with an ankle issue late on.

The England international had to come off in the closing stages and went straight down the tunnel for treatment with a club physio.

But Howe said Gordon “should be OK” for the opening day clash against Aston Villa.

Although that will come as a relief to Newcastle, it was a timely reminder of how thin on the ground the club are in attack with William Osula and Sean Neave the only natural alternatives.

Gordon pressed and harried throughout, but it took Newcastle until the 34th minute to have a shot on target after Kieran Trippier saw a free-kick parried by former Atletico team-mate Jan Oblak.

It was as close as Newcastle came to scoring and Howe clearly needs another focal point up front – regardless of what happens with Isak.

Atletico do not have such concerns.

Manager Diego Simeone had the luxury of naming Alexander Sorloth and Antoine Griezmann among his substitutes on Saturday. For context, the pair scored a combined 41 goals for the Spanish giants last season.

Julian Alvarez lined up from the off and the former Manchester City striker went on to open the scoring, finishing a clinical breakaway in the 50th minute.

Substitute Griezmann doubled the visitors’ advantage with a clever flick midway through the second half.

The presence of Griezmann and Co in front of a sellout crowd felt like a taster of the Champions League nights to come at St James’ this season.

The prospect of Simeone and Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall sharing the touchline on the big stage would certainly be box office.

It has been a frustrating window for Newcastle, who have missed out on a host of targets up.

But Saturday gave supporters a first sighting of Anthony Elanga in a black and white shirt on home soil.

Although Newcastle have been knocked back by Benjamin Sesko, Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro and James Trafford, Sweden international Elanga “just knew” that a move to Tyneside was the “right choice”.

So what will Elanga bring?

Well, there were one or two glimpses of Elanga’s one-v-one ability after Newcastle started to strategically get the ball out to the winger in the final 10 minutes of the first half.

The crowd took a breath in expectation as Elanga raced past Atletico Madrid defender Matteo Ruggeri down the right only to see his attempted cross hooked away.

Then, just a couple of minutes later, Elanga again had the beating of Ruggeri, but Oblak claimed the cross.

Elanga will ultimately be judged on his end product, but it is not hard to see how the new arrival will slot into this side.