Eddie Howe will be nervous about sticking with star striker Alexander Isak at Newcastle as he continues to score well.
Premier League clubs may be eyeing a move for the Magpies’ talent, according to The Pitch Prospect’s Tony Cascarino.
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Isak scored a hat-trick in Newcastle’s 4-0 win at Ipswich Town on Saturday, his first goal coming in the first minute.
The Sweden international has now scored in his last four league games in a row, although this comes with a move to a rival.
Arsenal have been regularly linked with Isak since he joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022.
With the January transfer window approaching, speculation is likely to increase, but Howe is confident he can keep him.
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“Yes, I am,” he told The Pitch Prospect. “I think we try to build, I often say we try to build in every transfer window that comes along.”
“And I think that window for us is probably more about getting the best out of the players we have than looking outside.”
“I don’t think we’ll do much business with the new signings, so it’s natural that we want to keep our best players.”
The Pitch Prospect understands Newcastle are under pressure to sell players in January due to profit and sustainability [PSR] Fears.
However, Weekend Sports Breakfast’s Cascarino senses Howe is nervous about the interest in Isak, saying: “It’s quite clear Eddie Howe is nervous.”
“You know, ‘We can’t do a lot of deals, it’s important we keep the best players we can’ and I can totally understand that with Eddie. He faces a challenge, he has to compete against a number of clubs and whether.” They are making a bid of more than £100 million if that happens…
“One thing in the paper that Eddie also quotes, because that says a lot: he said he was also very popular in the Newcastle boys’ dressing room.
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“Not only did he talk about his goals, but he also said he was very popular there, so he would be a big loss.”
Isak’s ten Premier League goals take him fourth in the table this season alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Chris Wood.
Only Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and Cole Palmer have scored more goals than the trio.
Isak has also scored a total of 46 goals in 85 games for Newcastle, with the striker now in his third season at St James’ Park.
A move in January could prove difficult for interested clubs as the transfer window is mid-season.
However, Newcastle could find it even more difficult to retain Isak in the summer if he maintains his success in front of goal.
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