· 16 July 2025, 10:00
On social media, Liverpool fans and neutrals alike are lauding it as a masterstroke by Liverpool... biding their time in the shadows before leaping out with a knife around Newcastle's neck. The choice is simple; "Give us your star striker, or we take your top transfer target out of spite."
But some Newcastle fans (myself included) have a bit of a wry smile on our faces. The Ekitike offer has not only flushed Liverpool out into the open, but they've now played their hand, and burnt any bridges with Newcastle along with it.
Alexander Isak: 'The One That Got Away' for Liverpool?
The PIF haven't got everything right in their three and a half years in charge, but it can't be denied; they've refused to budge in the transfer market when it comes to the Super League 6's attempts to bully them into selling.
They held steadfast during Manchester City's interest in Bruno Guimaraes and now Tino Livramento, and even sacrificed Elliot Anderson and Yankubah Minteh to avoid plonking Anthony Gordon or Alexander Isak into Liverpool's lap.
There were even rumours that Yasir Al-Rumayyan had given the Newcastle hierarchy strict instructions to refuse any approach for Alexander Isak this summer. I'm sure Liverpool fans would have loved their owners to have adopted the same stance for club favourites Fernando Torres or Luis Suárez in the past...
Alexander Isak was never a battle they were going to win, so in a final act of desperation, they've essentially sent Newcastle a piece of blackmail: 'give us Isak, or we'll go after the player you've had your eyes on for over three years...' Why? Because they can. And much like a spoilt brat, they're not used to being told 'No'.
It's not a great look for the Liverpool hierarchy, and has surely burnt any bridges between the two clubs. What exactly is going to motivate Newcastle to sell to a club that has shown them such disrespect?
I'm sure Hugo is delighted at the prospect of being Liverpool's public bargaining tool...
Something tells me Hugo Ekitike won't be too impressed with his unsuspecting role in Liverpool's ploy...
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It would be pointless for me to pretend that Newcastle can match Liverpool in terms of silverware, wages or first-team football. At least for now. The only thing Newcastle can offer over Liverpool is genuine interest.
They've courted the striker since January 2022. They've been the only club to show serious interest in him this summer. They even arranged to meet representatives in Austria to get the wheels in motion.
Liverpool, on the other hand, have publicly acknowledged Ekitike as a consolation prize at best... and a pathetic bargaining tool at worst. Again, it's not a great look, and he'd be joining Liverpool under a very big Alexander Isak-shaped cloud. It's a bit like agreeing to date someone after your best friend just turned them down. You weren't first choice. You were the one they settled for. Alexander Isak is clearly the player Liverpool actually want, not Hugo Ekitike.
Alexander Isak is not the sort of player to do a 'Gyokeres' and kick up a fuss...
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Some journalists have cynically suggested that this was a desperate ploy by Liverpool to unsettle Isak and get him to kick up a fuss behind the scenes. But they've got the wrong guy. Isak's quiet, humble and respectful temperament has always been at odds with the obvious talent he has. Most players of his stature would have an ego. But Isak has always quietly gone about his business.
Some Liverpool fans have consoled themselves with the 'copium' that Newcastle are only delaying the inevitable. But have they forgotten about the three years left on Isak's deal? Until January 2028, Newcastle hold all the cards here. And if they lost Isak on a free transfer in three years' time, is that such a bad thing? Three more years of Alexander Isak sounds pretty good to me.
And whenever Isak does go, you can guarantee he'll be showered in well-wishes by the Geordie faithful... certainly not the abuse that a certain Liverpool legend did when he chose Real Madrid this summer... stay classy, Liverpool fans.
For a fanbase that I really held a soft spot for... the red half of Merseyside sure have let themselves down over the last few months...