ALEXANDER ISAK is confident he can “achieve his ambitions” with Newcastle United, but the striker is determined to shelve all talk about a possible new contract until the summer.
Isak heads to Wembley on Sunday as part of the Magpies squad that will attempt to end the club’s 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy, with his superb form in the first seven months of the season having seen him widely touted as one of the best forwards in world football.
While his goalscoring achievements have seen him cement his position as one of Newcastle’s star performers, his 22 goals in the current campaign have also seen him linked with a number of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Arsenal and Liverpool have long been touted as potential future destinations for the Swede, with Barcelona also having been credited with a strong interest in the last month that could also lead to a summer approach.
Newcastle officials feel they are a strong position when it comes to Isak’s future, with the 25-year-old having three years remaining on his contract at the end of the season. However, there is also an acknowledgment that Isak and his representatives are likely to seek a lucrative new deal if rival clubs table formal offers for his services.
There is a desire from within the club to conduct contractual discussions – chief executive, Darren Eales, confirmed an intention to step up talks when he spoke publicly earlier this month – and while Isak was relatively non-committal over his future when he was asked directly about a new deal at a pre-match press conference ahead of the Wembley final, he suggested he was open to summer talks.
“I'm not really thinking about the summer," said Isak. "That will probably be a talking point once the season finishes, but we will really see because no talks have been held yet.
"Really, about my future, it is not really something I think about. During a season, I just focus on the job and it's probably the worst time to think about anything else. All of our focus is just on Sunday, doing good and hopefully bringing the trophy back to Newcastle.”
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The key question when it comes to Isak’s long-term future is whether or not Newcastle can keep pace with the Swede’s own personal ambitions.
Qualifying for the Champions League two seasons ago was a major step forward, and the Magpies’ negotiating position would clearly be enhanced if they were to secure a place in Europe’s premier competition again this term.
Beyond that, though, the quest for silverware is all-consuming, both from a club perspective and from the point of view of the players who will be lining up at Wembley this weekend. Newcastle have not won a major domestic trophy for 70 years; Isak’s only major winner’s medal came in the Copa Del Rey in 2020 when his Real Sociedad side beat Athletic Bilbao in the final.
“It is why I came here,” said Isak, when asked about the possibility of Newcastle triumphing in Sunday’s final against Liverpool. “I've said many times I don't really look too much or think too much about my future. But I'm happy here and we are contenders for titles, which is what you want to win as a football player. We've been in a final and now we're into another one. So, I think the chances are there.
“This club can achieve great things. I think you should really look at one season at a time, and this season we can achieve winning a trophy, which would be amazing for everyone.”
Crucially, Isak insists he is fit for Sunday’s Wembley showpiece despite having been the subject of a series of injury scares in the last month or so.
The striker was not involved when Newcastle lost to Liverpool in the league earlier this month, but claims it was “muscular tightness” rather than a fully-fledged injury issue that led Eddie Howe to rest him at Anfield.
He started the FA Cup defeat to Brighton as well as Monday’s Premier League win at West Ham, and insists he is fully fit ahead of the final.
“I feel good," he said. “It's probably been put out a bit more dramatic than it's been. I've not been injured, I've just had a little bit of tightness, which can be normal if you've played a lot of games.”
Two years ago, Isak started on the bench when Newcastle lost to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final, but the rate of his progress over the course of the last two seasons means he is the most important name on Howe’s team sheet for this weekend’s return to Wembley.
While he was a club-record £60m signing when he moved to Tyneside in the summer of 2022, he was still to take the step up to the very top level of the European game when he joined Newcastle. He has done that since, with his performances leading to him being spoken of in the same breath as the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane.
“It’s hard work, training, and the mentality of wanting to get better, which I have," said Isak, when asked about the secrets of his success. “I have ambitions, ambitions to achieve things in my career and be the best version of myself. I have team-mates who help me get better, players who have been here since I came. With time, you get better connections and you all benefit each other better and better.”
Firing Newcastle to victory on Sunday would elevate his status even higher – win at the weekend, and all of the club’s players will immediately become legendary figures on Tyneside – and while the Magpies have a dreadful recent record against Liverpool, Isak’s tally of three goals in five games against the Reds gives cause for optimism.
“I really enjoy the games against Liverpool,” he said. “I think they're not too different to ourselves - a high-pressing team and direct team, which can lead to many counter-opportunities. That's the game I like. I think I've had pretty good success before, I feel good and enjoy playing against them.”
