Eddie Howe gives cagey response when asked about £63m star's contract situation

Eddie Howe has faced the media on Friday morning ahead of Sunday's big game at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea.

The Premier League clash is a big one for both sides who are at risk of falling off the pace in the hunt for Champions League places.

However, before Eddie Howe was asked about the upcoming opposition, the media had something else in mind to quiz the gaffer on.

This week has seen plenty of speculation around the future of Alexander Isak with some reports claiming the star forward will push for a move in the summer if the club fails to qualify for Europe. Then there have been counter reports claiming that he's keen to follow Anthony Gordon's lead by signing a new deal.

Howe is relaxed about Alexander Isak's contract situation

Howe was asked for an update on Isak's contract situation but gave reporters an answer without any real answers as is his way, saying (via The Chronicle) that he's no part of those talks.

"That’s a slightly more complex situation. Regarding contracts, I’m not involved in those discussions day to day. With Alex, he’s got a long contract anyway at the football club and we have to be really careful with our spending due to profit and sustainability rules (PSR). It’s not a clear-cut situation.

"We of course love him and are desperate for him to stay at Newcastle for many years and score loads of goals for us. I don’t see a short-term issue with his contract."

Newcastle fans want peace of mind with a new deal for Isak

It sounds like we're going to be waiting a while before we get any concrete update on Isak's contract, which does leave that door wide open for the initial rumours to come true.

While Isak is under contract until 2028, there is no pressing need to get him to sign up to a new deal, but the peace of mind it would give fans to see him commit to the club is priceless.

We'll just have to play the waiting game and hope that the team's form picks up and we start to climb back up the league table to convince Isak to stay.