Newcastle have hinted that Alexander Isak will not feature in their Premier League opener against Aston Villa amid interest from Liverpool. Isak’s future is uncertain at the moment as he is at the centre of a transfer saga after Liverpool saw an £110million offer rejected by the Magpies earlier in the month.

There can be no more claim or counter-claim about what Alexander Isak might be thinking and it blows apart Newcastle United’s policy of containment this summer. They have attempted to tough it out, to see through a testing transfer window with the aim of keeping their best player,