Eddie Howe fielded eight questions on the striker during Saturday's 15-minute press conference. The situation is beyond a distraction now

A few weeks can make a huge difference in evaluating a club's season outlook, and the flurry of reports regarding star striker Alexander Isak have put a worrying cap on a troubling fortnight at Newcastle United.

Newcastle are interested in signing Nicolas Jackson as a possible replacement for Alexander Isak, talkSPORT understands. The Chelsea striker has been added to the club’s transfer shortlist.

Then there are Isak’s wages. His exact demands are unknown but given his status as one of the world’s leading players a range of £250,000 to £300,000 a week is far from unreasonable. At that level, the hit to a club would be £15m-£18m annually.