Howe was speaking in South Korea ahead of Newcastle’s opening game of the Korean leg of their Far Eastern tour when they take on a K-League All Stars XI in Suwon tomorrow.
Isak will not be involved in that game as he did not travel to Asia last week, and there is no intention of the Swede linking up with his current team-mates at any stage of the tour.
Newcastle officials initially insisted Isak’s absence was because of the thigh problem that also kept him out of the Magpies’ pre-season game at Celtic, but there has subsequently been an admission that, at least in part, the striker’s failure to travel was a result of the speculation that continues to swirl around him.
With Luis Diaz on the verge of completing a €75m move to Bayern Munich, Liverpool are understood to be preparing a formal offer for Isak which is expected to be around £120m.
Newcastle will then have a decision to make over Isak, with the Swedish striker’s desire to ‘explore all possibilities over his future’ one of a number of influences on their final call.
“He [Isak] is still our player,” said Howe, whose side began their Asian tour with a 3-2 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday. “He’s contracted to us.
“We, to a degree, control what is next for him. I would love to believe all possibilities are still available to us. My wish is that he stays, but that’s not in my full control.
“We have not received a formal offer for Alex, from any club. My wish is that he stays and we see him playing again next year.”
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While Howe and his assistant, Jason Tindall, have been focusing on his squad in Singapore and South Korea, the rest of Newcastle’s recruitment operation, currently being led by head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, and assistant head of first-team recruitment, Andy Howe, have been trying to deal with the fallout from the Isak situation.
There has been contact between the two groups, although Howe’s input into the Isak discussions from South Korea has been minimal.
“No, I haven’t [had those conversations],” he said. “Mainly for the fact I’ve been travelling and today we’ve been working on the training for this afternoon.
“With these trips, they are always so intense. Of course, I’m in contact with the people I need to be in contact with back at home, but it’s very minimal contact when you’re away.”
As well as trying to resolve the Isak situation, the Newcastle hierarchy have also been working on potential incoming deals.
Benjamin Sesko, Ollie Watkins and Nicolas Jackson have been discussed as potential replacements for Isak, the stand-off with Brentford over Yoane Wissa continues, and Newcastle have held talks with Southampton over a deal for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Asked directly on Ramsdale, who he managed during his time at Bournemouth, Howe said: “I have worked with him before, I know him very well, but I won’t discuss the chances of him coming to us.”
The Magpies did, however, concede that the next few weeks of transfer activity would be vital in determining how the club might fare next season.
“It is an important time for us,” he admitted. “There is lots to take in. We have to bring the right type of player in. We should in no way act out of character and should work he we always have in the window. That is in a strategic way.
“If the right player isn’t available to us for the right price, then we can’t do the deals. Everything has to fall in line. We are looking to add depth and quality to the areas that we have identified. Fingers crossed we can get deals done.”
Newcastle suffered another setback on Sunday when Sven Botman was forced out of the defeat to Arsenal after feeling tightness in his groin.
The centre-half has had a scan, and while the Magpies’ medical staff are confident the problem is not a major one, there is a good chance the Dutchman could miss both tomorrow’s game with the All Stars XI and Sunday’s friendly against Tottenham in Seoul.
“We didn’t think it was a serious injury at the time, and we’ve had that confirmed with a scan,” said Howe. “He won’t play tomorrow [against the All Stars]. He could play against Tottenham on Sunday, but possibly not. We hope he’ll be available for the double header at St James’ Park [in the Sela Cup on August 8-9].”
