Eddie Howe fielded eight questions on the striker during Saturday's 15-minute press conference. The situation is beyond a distraction now

Alexander Isak has reportedly told Newcastle he wants to explore a move away as the club confirmed he was not part of the squad travelling to Asia for pre-season friendlies.

Then there are Isak’s wages. His exact demands are unknown but given his status as one of the world’s leading players a range of £250,000 to £300,000 a week is far from unreasonable. At that level, the hit to a club would be £15m-£18m annually.