Eddie Howe says relationship with Alexander Isak changed after striker's training boycott ahead of £125m Liverpool move

Eddie Howe said his relationship with Alexander Isak changed after the Sweden striker refused to train as he sought a move that was completed on deadline day with a British-record £125 million transfer to Liverpool.

Howe said he and Isak had previously enjoyed "a great relationship" but that the dynamic shifted when the forward went on strike, making communication difficult. The Newcastle manager reiterated that he had never promised Isak he would be allowed to leave the club and declined to give further detail about the breakdown in talks. Isak issued a public statement on August 19 saying promises had been broken and trust had been lost; the manager said they did not speak after that statement.

Howe paid tribute to Isak's contribution on the pitch, saying the player helped Newcastle "achieve some unbelievable milestones" and that the relationship had been mutually beneficial. He framed the training boycott as a turning point, saying: "The moment he went on strike our relationship did change. I think that was probably a turning point in our relationship. Communication became difficult from that point onwards. I won’t go into any more detail than that."

The manager spoke as Newcastle prepared for Saturday's Premier League home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers without one of their summer attacking recruits. Yoane Wissa, signed to help replace Isak, returned from international duty with the Democratic Republic of Congo after sustaining a knee injury late in Tuesday’s 3-2 defeat by Senegal and was sent for a scan. Howe said Wissa would not make the game and that the club had only been able to assess him for the first time on Thursday.

"Unfortunately he won't make this game," Howe said. "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. We only saw him for the first time yesterday."

Howe also confirmed that fellow summer signing Jacob Ramsey will be sidelined for around seven matches with an ankle injury and is not expected to return until after the next international break. The manager indicated Nick Woltemade, who joined from Stuttgart last month, could be in line for a debut as Newcastle adapt their squad following the departures and injuries.

Isak’s move to Liverpool — one of the most expensive in British football history — brought an end to a turbulent transfer window for Newcastle, who had relied on the forward’s goals during a period of club success. Howe acknowledged the player's role in that success while stressing the club’s position that no formal promise had been made to facilitate an exit. The manager declined to comment further on the private discussions between player and club.

Newcastle face the immediate task of managing a depleted attacking group amid a congested fixture list. Howe’s assessment of the squad and updates on injured players will be closely watched as the team looks to maintain momentum in the Premier League without Isak available to them for the remainder of the season.