Magpies coach: Isaac hopes to stay in the team but has not discussed renewal. He will not be affected by transfer rumors

Newcastle coach Eddie Howe (left) and team captain Guimaraes attended the pre-match press conference on Saturday

Premier League powerhouse "Magpie" Newcastle striker Isak was caught in transfer rumors and did not come to Singapore with the team to participate in the friendly match against "Gunners" Arsenal on Sunday (July 27). Magpies coach Eddie Howe said that as far as he knows there is no negotiation on Isaac's contract, but he hopes Isaac can stay.

25-year-old shooting foot Isaac is reportedly seeking to leave the team, and Liverpool is interested in him. Although it is rumored that Saudi Arabian giant Al-Hilal has offered a sky-high weekly salary of 600,000 pounds (about 1.03 million SGD), transfer expert Romano posted on Saturday (26th) that Isaac hopes to stay in the top European league and therefore does not consider playing football in Saudi Arabia.

For Isaac's future, Eddie Howe said at a pre-match press conference held at the Pan Pacific Hotel on Saturday (26th): "He is now undergoing injury assessment at Newcastle and hopes he can return as soon as possible and put on a black and white jersey, which is what we want to see.

Magpies coach: It's not easy for Isaac to be on the news every day

"Of course there will be something happening behind the scenes, he will know that he will be on the news every day, and I think it's not easy for anyone. Obviously, his conversation with the club and his and me will be private.

"He is very popular in the locker room. As I said before, we hope he can continue his journey in Newcastle, but whatever happens, it must be the right thing for Newcastle."

When asked if there are currently negotiations for renewal with the Swedish general who has three years of contract, Eddie Howe said: "I don't think there are any contract negotiations at the moment. I think it may happen later... there are still many things to happen."

Not distracted by the transfer rumors of Isaac

There are many discussions about Isaac, but Eddie Howe and Magpies captain Guimaraes said that the team was not distracted by his transfer rumors.

Guimaraes (third from left) signed the fans after the press conference. "Of course he is a top player for us. You can't easily find a player who scored more than 20 goals in the Premier League, but we were not distracted. We focused on getting into the form as much as possible because it will be a very difficult season for us."

This will be the first pre-season warm-up match for the Magpie, and Eddie Howe admitted that the team has noticed that the players were a little tired of training on Saturday since they arrived in Singapore on Friday (25th).

"Hot is one thing, I think the players are still adapting to the jet lag, so I think this will definitely have an advantage for Arsenal. After all, they are here longer than we are (Ashener has defeated Sports Milan in his first friendly match in the local area)... But the most important thing is our performance against Villa (Aston Villa, the first round opponent of the Premier League), not these games, but we have to achieve something."

Facing the new aid Kepa competition Gunner goalkeeper Raya: spread your arms and welcome

Arsenal has been staying in Singapore for a while, and they are living in Sentosa and they visited Universal Studios on Thursday (24th) to have a good time.

Arsenal goalkeeper Raya, who won the Premier League Golden Gloves Award for two consecutive seasons, was interviewed by the media after finishing public training on Friday.

Speaking of the joining of new goalkeeper Kepa, he said he "welcome with his arms spread out", but said coach Arteta has not yet promised that he will remain the first goalkeeper.

Arsenal goalkeeper Raya saved the ball in public training on Friday "I knew him (Kepa) in the national team (Spain). We are good friends. This healthy competition is very beneficial...I know how difficult it is to be a goalkeeper. After all, (each team) can only send one goalkeeper to play, and see what will happen."

In addition, Raya also talked about the national team teammate and talented winger Yamal who plays for Barcelona, and believed that the latter was a "top player."

"He is only 18 years old and has many aspects to develop, but he has shown how good he is on the biggest stage. He will not be stage frightened, but just enjoy the game... He is a very outstanding young man, and the future is bright."