Eddie Howe insists Newcastle will definitely sign a striker if Alexander Isak leaves

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has made it clear that the club will not be left without a recognised striker, even if Alexander Isak departs amid ongoing transfer speculation.

Ahead of Newcastle's Premier League clash with Liverpool, Howe addressed the uncertainty surrounding the Swedish forward, who has been the subject of a reported 110 million bid from Liverpool earlier this month. Tensions escalated when Isak accused the club of breaking promises in a social media post on Tuesday.

Newcastle responded by reaffirming that no commitment had been made to sell the 25-year-old, who remains under contract until 2028. Despite links to several strikers during the summer transfer window, no signings have materialised so far. With Callum Wilson already having left the club, Isak's potential exit could leave 22-year-old William Osula as the only senior forward available.

"I don't think the club will allow that situation to happen. We certainly can't go through the season with no recognised striker at the football club," Howe told reporters.

"And that's no disrespect to Will Osula. I think he's doing really well and progressing, but he has limited experience in the Premier League. I'm really happy with his development, but Alex is currently the only striker we have with a proven record in this league. We simply can't afford to be left in that position."

While Howe admits that replacing Isak would be close to impossible, he believes Anthony Gordon could step up to the challenge if needed. Ideally, the Newcastle boss would have liked to keep Isak for Sunday's high-stakes match against the reigning champions and to have at least one new striker signed before kickoff at a packed St James' Park.

Newcastle began their season with a goalless draw away at Aston Villa, adding weight to criticism that the team lacks firepower without their star striker. Still, Howe remains optimistic, particularly about Gordon's potential in a central role.

"I don't think anyone can fill Alex's boots - and Anthony knows that," Howe said. "He's not trying to be Alex. He has to be himself. If he'd scored at Aston Villa, you'd say that was the perfect No. 9 performance. He had seven shots, looked dangerous, and forced a red card. He was using his strengths - his pace and dribbling. We missed a goal in that game, but hopefully that part will come."

While Isak continues to train separately from the squad, Gordon has been undergoing intensive work to adapt to a central striker's role.

"It's a bit different for him," Howe explained. "We're training him there now and he's beginning to understand the rhythm and tactical nuances of playing through the middle. But he's a top-class attacker. One of the reasons we signed Anthony was because of his versatility. He can play right, left, and through the centre. He's done it before, even for England, so it's not completely new to him."

Despite Gordon's promise, his goal drought in the league remains a concern. Since his goal against Wolves on January 19 - his fifth in six matches at the time - he has scored just once in 17 appearances, a strike against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.

As a result, Newcastle may not pose the same attacking threat that troubled Liverpool last season, especially in the cup final where Isak's goal proved decisive. However, what they will have on Monday is a determined and talented professional leading the line.