Eddie Howe turns on Alexander Isak as Newcastle boss slams £125m striker

Eddie Howe has criticised Alexander Isak for damaging their relationship, revealing that the £125million forward refused to play under his management. The Newcastle boss held emergency discussions with Isak after the player declined to participate in the club's pre-season tour to the Far East, and was further snubbed when Isak refused to play against Aston Villa last month.

Isak's transfer to Liverpool was finalised on deadline day, but Howe reflected on the deterioration of their relationship, confessing that Isak went "on strike" at Newcastle. As Newcastle prepare to face Wolves in the Premier League without Isak, Howe said: "The moment he went on strike the relationship changed. And yeah, I think that was the turning point in our relationship. Communication became difficult from that point onwards."

Isak's position has been filled by Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade, however, the DR Congo international will miss the match against Wolves due to a knee injury.

It will be the £69m German, Woltemade, who will lead the attack against Wolves, following in the footsteps of his predecessor. Howe added: "Alex and I always enjoyed a great relationship.

"I loved working with him and hope that he loved working with us. We hope it was mutually beneficial; we helped him as a player, and he helped us as a team. We helped him become the player who departed us, and he helped us achieve some important milestones. He was part of a very successful team."

But after Isak refused to travel to the Far East for pre-season, he opted against making himself available for the Premier League campaign.

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Howe has requested time and patience regarding his new signings, though both Wissa and Jacob Ramsey will miss the clash with Wolves.

Ramsey faces around a month on the sidelines following an ankle problem sustained at Leeds a fortnight ago, whilst Wissa is nursing a knee complaint.

When questioned whether the transfer window proved successful, Howe responded: "Time is always the best judge of that. We will see how it is viewed.

"My gut feeling is it has been strong. It is hugely important to move on. With the schedule of games coming up, it'll be a quick turnaround, and we will need a full squad available. That is why we have needed people around the last two weeks.

"We always have challenges in different ways. Whether it was a successful window or a challenging window, time will be the judge of that. It is a clear focus now. It is just football now so no distractions."

Eventually, Howe anticipates that Wissa will prove a shrewd acquisition and commented: "He is an established Premier League goalscorer which is very difficult to find, he has a history of scoring goals and been a difficult player for us to handle. I admire the journey he has been on, it has not been easy for him. He has had big steps to make and he has always made them."