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Newcastle United have announced that Alexander Isak has been assigned a shirt number for the 2025/26 season, despite the forward's expressed wish to depart the club and transfer to Liverpool.

The 25-year-old Isak is resolute in his decision not to play for Newcastle again, fuelled by anger over a 'broken contract promise' which led him to decide that the previous season would be his last at St James' Park.

Even if Newcastle choose not to sell and he remains at St James' Park post the transfer window closure, the striker is convinced his time on Tyneside is over and he has no desire to rejoin the squad.

Despite this, Eddie Howe's team have still allocated Isak a shirt number ahead of their Premier League opener against Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.

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Isak has worn this number since his £63million transfer from Real Sociedad and will continue to do so this season, should he stay at Newcastle and reverse his decision never to play for the club again.

The departure of Callum Wilson earlier this summer left the No

9 shirt vacant, but Isak has chosen to keep No.14.

Amanda Staveley, former Newcastle director and minority co-owner, had promised Isak a discussion about a new contract, a reward for his performances

Certain figures at Newcastle refute that Isak's desire was communicated and maintain the striker had intended to address the matter and a possible new deal with club hierarchy after last season's conclusion.

Newcastle meet Aston Villa in their Premier League opener on Saturday and Howe has made it plain that he cannot select Isak, as matters currently stand, for his squad's forthcoming journey to the west Midlands.

"For me, I'm trying to manage the situation and manage the team and to, most importantly, manage the group of players that I'm working with day to day, that I love coaching and helping," Howe said.

"We're focusing on Aston Villa
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