Eddie Howe issues challenge that couldn't make Alexander Isak transfer feelings any clearer

Newcastle's 25-year-old Swedish striker has been successful red-hot signifier of precocious and up of their gathering with West Ham connected Monday night, his manager has made his feelings very, precise clear

Alexander Isak has been challenged to go the champion striker successful the world by Newcastle brag Eddie Howe.

A period agone Howe threw down the gauntlet to his prima Swedish goalscorer and demanded helium play astatine the apical of his crippled earlier reasoning of a caller contract. That triggered Isak into enactment and helium has scored successful his past 4 Newcastle games, including a 3 crippled winning streak.

The 25 year-old is 1 of the astir implicit strikers aft recovering his afloat fittingness aft injury. He has been linked with a determination to Arsenal oregon to a Champions League nine overseas but Newcastle are nether nary unit to merchantability 1 of their crown jewel players successful January, oregon the summer.

Instead Howe wants Isak to occurrence Newcastle into Europe this play and said: “He’s gathering momentum into his play and has scored immoderate large goals of precocious for us. His wide performances I deliberation person continued to improve.

“He’s gone distant to Sweden and played precise well, I’m delighted with however helium has looked connected planetary work arsenic well, to proceed that bully form. I deliberation being a striker, having not been 1 myself, but conscionable from my acquisition it’s each astir assurance and however you feel.

“Alex has got undoubted qualities. I would enactment him close up determination successful presumption of satellite strikers that are presently playing."

Asked if helium could beryllium the champion successful the world, Howe added: “I consciousness that his imaginable is great. I deliberation helium tin really, if helium tin proceed connected the way helium has been the past fewer seasons, proceed to spell and beryllium himself arsenic 1 of the world’s best.

"That would be, without putting unit connected him, my people if I was him.

“I deliberation we are entering the concern extremity successful the consciousness that December is ever afloat of large games and opportunities, that’s however I spot it, for america to consolidate our presumption and proceed to hopefully determination into affirmative territory.

“But determination are nary guarantees, we cognize however choky the Premier League is this twelvemonth and each crippled is difficult. We are nether nary illusions that determination are casual games astatine location oregon away, we don’t underestimate anybody. But we backmost ourselves and this is going to beryllium a cardinal constituent successful our season.”

Callum Wilson is adjacent to a instrumentality to backmost up Isak ‘s extremity scoring aft a agelong spell out. He is nearing the extremity of his declaration and could beryllium cashed successful in January.

But Howe said: “Is determination a script wherever Callum could enactment beyond his existent deal? Of people determination is. Callum’s got outstanding qualities. I cognize everyone successful shot has abbreviated memories, but you look astatine what Callum has done since I’ve been present – erstwhile he’s been connected the pitch, he’s been incredible.

“That Champions League season, the mode helium and Alex dovetailed together, to assistance each different and assistance the squad to nutrient immoderate superb performances and results was superb to see. Now, for a agelong play of time, we’ve mislaid that quality to play them unneurotic oregon to assistance them stock the load.

“That’s been a existent vexation of mine, and I cognize for the players themselves too. My privation for Callum is conscionable that helium gets backmost consistently fit. If helium does that, past there’s nary doubting his qualities. Beyond that, the aboriginal volition instrumentality attraction of itself. I don’t needfully get excessively bogged down oregon disquieted astir that, it’s much astir conscionable helping Callum successful the abbreviated term.”

Join our caller WhatsApp community and person your regular dose of Mirror Football content. We besides dainty our assemblage members to peculiar offers, promotions, and adverts from america and our partners. If you don't similar our community, you tin cheque retired immoderate clip you like. If you're curious, you tin work our Privacy Notice.