A deal to bring Alexander Isak to Liverpool will be dependent on Newcastle United's price demands, Reds transfer expert David Lynch has insisted.
The Merseysiders have been linked with a host of strikers, including the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike, but suggestions that they could sign Isak have not subsided.
Newcastle will want to keep their talisman, especially after he ended the 2024-25 campaign as the Premier League's second highest scorer (23), and rumours have suggested that the striker could cost in the region of £150m.
While Lynch did not dismiss the possibility of a deal, he claimed a transfer would only materialise at a realistic asking price, telling Sports Mole: "As a starting point, I'd be a fool if I sat here and ruled it out completely because there are some conditions there that exist that make it possibly feasible.
"Newcastle have to be willing to sell at something close to reasonable, and if you start paying north of £150m - which is the recent reporting from the Newcastle side - and he gets injured in his first game of the season then that's a disaster.
"Liverpool wouldn't try if it wasn't genuinely feasible. They do like the player but all those boxes have got to be ticked, and we are a long way from any of those being ticked at the moment. I struggle to see it but things change in football all the time, and my god I won't be putting my neck on the line in this transfer window."
Isak has three years remaining on his contract, and considering the Toon have also qualified for the Champions League, the club are in a strong position to keep their star striker.
Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak on April 2, 2025
What needs to happen for a deal to materialise?
Liverpool have already spent close to £200m this summer following the acquisitions of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, and the addition of centre-back Marc Guehi would push the club's spending north of that figure.
The Reds have not historically been the biggest spenders under the ownership of Fenway Sports Group, and the prospect of spending in excess of £100m on one player for a second time this window would appear unlikely.
Lynch insisted that sales would need to be made before a move for Isak could be considered, when he told Sports Mole: "What Liverpool need to happen is they need to get big money for both Darwin Nunez and probably Luis Diaz to put them back in the market for that top-end bracket.
"It needs to be big money to help towards Isak's signing because they've already signed Wirtz this window, and they need to recoup some money before they can do that deal.
"Newcastle just qualified for the Champions League so shouldn't have too many PSR concerns - unless they go out and spend big ahead of Isak's potential sale - and they've just won a trophy. Their project's in a quite a good place so it's not a case where the player's absolutely desperate to get out."
The Reds have already recouped fees for the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher, and they could still receive substantial bids for stars such as Diaz.
Newcastle United's Alexander Isak celebrates on March 16, 2025
Will Liverpool return for Isak next summer?
Isak will be 27 in September next year, and while he would still be able to contribute significantly to Liverpool in 2026-27, there is a risk that his history of injuries could impact him as he ages.
If the Reds are to spend significantly in excess of £100m on his signature, they must ensure that they are able to extract maximum value from the Swede.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch expressed his view that the champions may not pursue Isak beyond this summer, saying: "Isak feels like a win-now signing rather than someone you wait for who's 23, 24 and you can build around. It's hard to see them going up to that price again - his injuries are likely to become more of a thing.
"There has been contact with Ekitike's camp. There's contact with a lot of players' camps by the way, but if that's strong enough for them to move for him, if they do do that and feel that that's the right thing to do, then obviously Isak is then off the table completely.
"It feels like one of those that if he doesn't sign this window, it becomes less and less likely. Not for other clubs because if his contract goes down a year it becomes a bit more reasonable - particularly if Newcastle don't qualify for the Champions League - but for Liverpool would it make sense a further year down the line? Maybe not."
Liverpool have generally opted to pursue younger targets on the precipice of taking the next step in their career - Wirtz is just 22 - but perhaps Isak would be an exception given he is arguably the best striker in the Premier League.
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