‘Newcastle mystified by talk of Liverpool bid for Alexander Isak’
Newcastle have been left confused by the talk of a bid for Alexander Isak from Liverpool this summer.
Having joined the Magpies from Real Sociedad in 2022, the Swedish striker has established himself as one of the premier strikers in Europe, scoring 62 goals in 109 games.
Last season, Isak fired Newcastle to their first major trophy in 70 years and a place in next season’s Champions League.
But with excellent performances comes prying eyes, and several of Europe’s giants would like to make the 25-year-old the centrepiece of their strike force.
Sources told Football Insider in February that Arne Slot sees Isak as the “perfect” player for his system, whilst Arsenal and Barcelona hold a long-standing interest in the striker.
But despite the interest, Newcastle have been left puzzled by suggestions of a bid for the striker, according to The i.
Alexander Isak not for sale amid Liverpool and Arsenal interest
Liverpool have been busy this summer, adding Bundesliga stars Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz to their squad, whilst Trent Alexander-Arnold has left for Real Madrid, and Jarell Quansah has agreed personal terms with Bayer Leverkusen.
However, the same cannot be said of the Magpies, who are yet to make any additions to the squad that scraped a fifth-placed finish last season.
Liverpool are keen to add a new striker after Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez struggled so mightily last season, but according to sources at Newcastle, any indication of a bid for Isak is untrue.
The striker is valued “in excess of £150million”, a stance that remains from what it was earlier in the year.
There have been “no offers or enquiries about Isak” and the forward remains a key part of boss Eddie Howe’s plans.
Whilst Liverpool admire Isak, as do Barcelona and Arsenal, but a deal is “almost impossible” as Newcastle are incredibly reluctant to sell their top scorer from last season.
Newcastle’s Alexander Isak stance may change as window wears on
Football Insider Verdict
Newcastle have no plans to sell Isak, nor should they. The 25-year-old is the best striker not named Erling Haaland in the Premier League (although he did outscore Man City’s man last season, so that may be up for debate), and the asking price of £150m is not outrageous, given the lack of top strikers available.
But an issue with the Magpies is slowly beginning to emerge. As any club should do, they have a wage structure in place.
However, that structure is beginning to present itself as an issue. Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider that Mbeumo’s wages were a factor as Newcastle seem to have missed out on the winger to Man United.
The same issue has presented itself in Newcastle’s potential deal for Jonathan David, who is admired by the club, but not a player they will move for despite being a free agent soon.
Unless a solution can be found, the Magpies may be forced to soften their stance on Isak, or risk missing out on the opportunity to strengthen their squad with multiple additions this summer.