'I was in Newcastle exile like Alexander Isak - this is what I really think of Eddie Howe'

Alexander Isak is not the first Newcastle United player that Eddie Howe has banished from the first team. The transfer saga surrounding the star striker’s potential move to Liverpool has seen the forward train away from his Newcastle team-mates.

Liverpool submitted an offer worth up to £120million for Isak, which Newcastle quickly rejected. Eddie Howe’s side are claimed to value Isak at a British record £150m, with the club insisting he is not for sale.

Earlier this summer, the Newcastle boss admitted to learning about the forward training at his former club Real Sociedad through media reports. Upon Newcastle’s return from their pre-season tour of Asia, Howe chose not to reintegrate Isak into first-team training. While the Swedish striker has reportedly refused to play for the club again, former Newcastle star Ryan Fraser understands how it feels to be in exile at the club.

READ MORE: Newcastle given two drastic options to end Alexander Isak and Liverpool transfer saga

READ MORE: Roy Keane rips into Alexander Isak as his ‘shocking’ Newcastle behaviour is called out

Fraser signed for Newcastle in 2020 and was reunited with his Bournemouth boss Howe just over a year later. The 31-year-old was an instant regular before losing his place near the start of the 2022/23 campaign. Being an unused substitute against Bournemouth in February 2023 marked Fraser’s final first-team involvement before Howe made him train with the club’s under-21s after he expressed a desire to leave. He would join Southampton on an initial loan deal several months later.

Reflecting on the end of his time at Newcastle, Fraser regretted the way it unfolded but held no hard feelings towards Howe. “Then obviously with the Eddie thing at the end, the media don’t know what’s happened so they couldn’t come out and say what’s happened, it was just that I was down in the Under-21s, so a lot of people just jump to things – they believe what they want to believe, because everyone’s got an opinion,” he told Southampton’s club website after signing permanently last summer.

“He was unbelievable for me. I did well for him, I learned from him, so it’s sad that it’s ended but it has ended now. It’s something I’ll always cherish, the years we had.”

Explaining his decision at the time, Howe told reporters: "I made the decision to concentrate on the players that are committed to Newcastle and for the benefit of the group I made that call."

Bizarrely, it was not the first time Howe had exiled Fraser, having previously refused to sign a new contract at Bournemouth. During his time at the Cherries, Fraser had helped the club climb from League One to become an established Premier League club. Despite their previous fallout, the winger admitted that reuniting with Howe at Newcastle was a welcome change from his time under Steve Bruce.

“Then Eddie came in and we started doing well together again,” Fraser recalled. “I started playing every game again, Newcastle were doing well, we went on a ten or 11-game unbeaten streak, the lads were fantastic, but then I wasn’t playing again.

“In football, you just want to play, or if you’re not playing you want to help the team in a certain way. It just came to an end. It’s hard to get into because there’s a lot that went on. Honestly, it’s tough to speak about.”

Isak is in a similar situation to Fraser, but has left Howe with little choice as he digs his heels in over a move to Liverpool. However, Isak’s situation is more high-profile and the Newcastle boss has admitted that he would welcome the striker back into the fold, even after deciding against involving him in the club’s most recent friendlies.

The Magpies have been working on a move for Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, but would want to sign another striker if they were to lose Isak. Newcastle’s only other recognised centre-forward is young prospect William Osula after Callum Wilson left the club this summer.

The club have endured a frustrating transfer window, missing out on several striker targets, as they prepare for another Champions League campaign. However, Newcastle have brought in winger Anthony Elanga and AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw, as well as getting Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale in on loan. Aston Villa ’s Jacob Rasey is also on the verge of a move to St James’ Park.

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