NEWCASTLE UNITED hope to avoid another summer of unsettling transfer uncertainty by agreeing new contracts with both Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak before the end of this season.

Both Gordon and Isak were linked with possible moves away from Tyneside this summer, and while the transfer window closed with the duo still on Newcastle’s books, the speculation over their respective futures cast a shadow over much of the transfer window.

Gordon’s position was discussed with senior figures at Liverpool when the Newcastle hierarchy were scrambling to raise funds ahead of the PSR accountancy deadline in late June, leading to suggestions that the winger, who was on international duty with England at the time, had become unsettled.

Isak was the subject of constant speculation linking him with Arsenal, and while the Gunners failed to lodge a formal offer for the Swede, their failure to sign an alternative attacker means they continue to be heavily linked with a potential future move. Chelsea also made an inquiry about Isak late in the window, but did not follow it up with a formal offer.

Newcastle’s financial position, in relation to PSR, is better now than it was at the start of the summer, and there is a strong determination to hold on to the club’s leading assets through at least the next two transfer windows.

Isak, who was forced off at the half-time interval of Sunday’s 2-1 win at Wolves because of an eye injury, is contracted to Newcastle until the summer of 2028, but the deal he initially signed when he moved from Real Sociedad in 2022 does not really reflect his status as one of the leading centre-forwards in the Premier League.

Newcastle officials are mindful that the Swede could almost certainly earn more if he was to move to the likes of an Arsenal, and are therefore keen to negotiate a new long-term agreement that will afford them more security over his future.

That was also the thinking behind the contractual discussions that resulted in Bruno Guimaraes signing a new deal last autumn, and the hope is that a similarly successful resolution can be reached with Isak and his representatives.

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Initial discussions are understood to have taken place, with chief executive Darren Eales and sporting director Paul Mitchell set to play leading roles in the negotiating process. There have been suggestions that Isak’s representatives will push for the inclusion of a release clause in any new deal, and the Newcastle hierarchy are unlikely to be too resistant to their demands given that Guimaraes’ contract contained a similar agreement.

Eddie Howe is extremely supportive of the attempts to tie Isak down to a new contract given the 24-year-old’s importance and a lack of viable alternatives within the current squad. Callum Wilson is due to return from injury shortly, but is in the final 12 months of his contract. William Osula is a player with potential, but is yet to make his Newcastle debut following his summer move from Sheffield United.

“He’s (Isak) one (of Newcastle's most important players), for sure,” said Howe, when asked about Isak’s importance amid suggestions of contract talks last week. “I don't think there is just one, I think there's always a group that are really important to the team and when they play well, the team plays better.

“Alex is certainly one of those players, he has all the qualities that we need. Ultimately, we need to get him absolutely at his best because when he is, he's a game-changer.”

Gordon’s current contract is due to expire in the summer of 2026, and given the suggestions that the Liverpudlian was unsettled by talk of a possible return to his home city in the summer, Newcastle’s executive team regard progressing talks over a new deal as a key priority for the next couple of months.

There is yet to be a formal discussion between the club and Gordon and his representatives, but informal soundings are believed to have taken place and it is anticipated that an initial series of talks will take place soon.