Newcastle fans told 'don't just believe' Alexander Isak has refused to train

Joleon Lescott has encouraged fans to "not just believe" Alexander Isak has excluded himself from Newcastle training. The Swedish striker wants to leave St. James' Park this window, with Liverpool his preferred destination.

After making his intentions to explore pastures new clear in July, Isak has become embroiled in an increasingly bitter saga. The 25-year-old wants to leave before the transfer window shuts on Monday and has told Newcastle he will not play for them again, though negotiations with the Reds have stalled since their£110million package was turned down this month.

Isak made his feelings known on the night of the Professional Footballers' Association awards gala, claiming "promises have been broken." Since the drama unfolded, he has been training apart from Eddie Howe's first team, but ex-Manchester City and Aston Villa star Lescott has told fans to take Isak's training ground exclusion with a pinch of salt.

READ MORE: Arsenal Invincible says Alexander Isak could cost Liverpool in crunch clash with Gunners

READ MORE: Newcastle's three conditions to allow Alexander Isak to complete Liverpool transfer

Manager Howe has made it clear that Isak cannot be involved in his first-team sessions due to the disagreement, though he and the club have reiterated that the Swede will be "welcomed back" when he is ready.

This raises questions about Isak and whether he has also refused to train with his Newcastle peers, just like he has declared he doesn't want to play alongside them.

Appearing on All Out Football's new show In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet, Lescott admitted in conversation with Carlton Cole and Olivia Buzaglo: "I don't know that that has happened [Isak refusing to train]. It's been documented, but I also know I've been at clubs where teams have told players they cannot train.

: Subscribe now to be the first to watch the latest episodes of In The Mixer and other original shows, brought to you by Sky Bet. Follow All Out Football on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook and X.

"So don't just believe that Isak has said he doesn't want to train, and that is it. If he weren't good enough and they didn't want him, they'd be saying: 'Don't come in.'

"I was told at Villa, I couldn't train with the first team for no reason at all. I would just try and go train with the reserves. I would have stayed at Villa, but because they said that to me, I was like, 'I can't come in and train with the reserves. I need to play'."

Talks have reportedly taken place between Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Isak, and the club is attempting to broker a deal that would see the striker return to the fold happy.

Isak turned down a new contract offer from the Magpies earlier this month, and Lescott has declared that if Newcastle want to keep their star striker, they must pay him in accordance with the rumoured £150m they value him at.

"It's business, and from a business perspective, if with Isak, you want a certain amount of money, you haven't got it… If you value him at a certain amount, you have to pay him the amount you value," Lescott continued. "You can't say you want a certain sum of money and then keep him on the money he is on. You can't have it both ways."

Should Isak fail to reach a deal with Newcastle and not move to Liverpool, he could be left in limbo. However, Lescott does not think that the 25-year-old will be worse off after a small break, having unsurprisingly not featured for Newcastle yet this season.

"It's not going to do him any harm physically," responded Lescott when asked about Isak's time away from the pitch. "Sharpness, maybe. But the love of the game will come back. Regardless of who it is for, in six weeks, he's going to want to play."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.