Newcastle United are desperate to keep Alexander Isak.
The links with Liverpool and Arsenal won’t be going away any time soon. But if the Magpies stand any chance of ensuring their super Swede stays happy then they must start delivering silverware and Champions League football.
Starting at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final, when they face one of the clubs who may be interested in signing the striker should he look to leave St James’ Park this summer.
Isak will be the man tasked with taking down the Reds and delivering Newcastle their first trophy since 1955. He is the talisman of this team. The striker who - when fit - is one of the most exciting to watch in the Premier League.
But he will have lofty ambitions. Newcastle - thanks to their Saudi backers - can offer the money in wages but now comes the true test; can they compete?
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool
Alexander Isak is a man in demand, with the Newcastle United ace wanted by both Liverpool and Arsenal (Image: Getty Images)
It was 2023 when Eddie Howe’s men last rocked up at Wembley for a final. That day they barely laid a glove on Manchester United.
They qualified for the Champions League that season and looked set to disrupt the top four for years to come. Yet last season they were hampered by injuries and failed to reach Europe again while there were no finals to get excited for.
This season it looks like the Premier League will get five places for next season’s European Cup, which gives Howe’s men a chance.
They haven’t been able to dip into the bottomless pit of cash their owners as much as they would have liked to really shake up England’s top tier thanks to PSR rules.
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But the pressure will still be on Howe if Newcastle don’t deliver. Saudi want success. They did invest £63m in Isak and the striker’s value may have doubled since he arrived in 2022.
He will want to see that the team from the North East is going to be able to deliver what he will want.
What Newcastle won’t want is Isak to be stood on the Wembley pitch at around 7.30pm on Sunday looking up at Liverpool lifting the Carabao Cup.
That will only make him wonder if he will be better off chasing glory at Liverpool, Arsenal or another of Europe’s top clubs.
Yes, it will more likely be that Champions League football will be the driver for his next move and whatever happens tomorrow, Newcastle will go back to their push for the top five in the Premier League.
But if they can show him what it means to win a trophy and end a long drought then it might just help make Isak want to stay long term at St James’ Park.