'You need' - Fresh Alexander Isak transfer warning as Newcastle United star haunts Tottenham

Eddie Howe says Newcastle United need to keep hold of Alexander Isak this summer or they run the risk of having to “start again”.

Isak continued his remarkable form by scoring a brace in Saturday’s 4-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur - becoming the first Newcastle player since Alan Shearer to reach 20 goals in a Premier League season.

His performances have reportedly attracted admiring glances from some of Europe’s elite including Arsenal, who tracked Isak before his £60million club record move to Tyneside almost two years ago.

United may have to sell players this summer in order to boost their transfer budget in line with Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) but any interest in Isak should be rebuffed.

Howe said: “We’re trying to build a team and grow everything upwards and to do that as quickly as possible and efficiently as you can, you need to keep your best players, otherwise you enter a different period where you go into transition and you have to start again.

“Your top players, the elite ones are so difficult to recruit so when we get them we have to try and keep them.”

Since arriving from Real Sociedad, the 24-year-old has netted 31 times in 61 appearances. His recent form of seven goals in six games has put him in the running for the golden boot award - sitting just three away from Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

Howe believes the sky’s the limit for the Sweden international.

“It’s a difficult question to answer really because I’d never put a level on what he could be,” said the Magpies’ boss. “For me, he’s so exciting to work with and has got so many different aspects to his game that we can try and explain and make better.

“First and foremost he has undoubted qualities that he wants to score goals and needs to score, and that’s a great characteristic for any striker to have. But he also plays for the team, he doesn’t play for himself which is rare.

“You can see him linking play and doing things that the teams need, not just what he needs. I thought it was a great performance.”