Newcastle United could have a tough time keeping hold of Alexander Isak this summer.
The Swede has undoubtedly been Eddie Howe’s standout player this season, scoring 23 goals in all competitions, including a sensational strike against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final earlier in March.
Alexander Isak is wanted by Liverpool and Arsenal, with the latter desperate to land him in January after suffering injuries to the likes of Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, leaving them without a natural striker for the rest of the season.
Newcastle United are adamant Isak will not be sold in the summer, even club officials have made it clear that they are not willing to let the 25-year-old leave.
Isak is Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s favourite Newcastle player and has urged Howe to build a team around him for years to come.
Liverpool are likely to approach Newcastle for Isak in the coming months – a British record transfer fee would need to be bid for the Magpies to even consider letting him go.
With Isak’s future set to be a big story in the summer, Martin Keown and Ally McCoist have given their verdicts on whether Newcastle will sell him.
Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images
Ally McCoist and Martin Keown on Alexander Isak’s Newcastle future
Arsenal legend Keown will be keen to see the Swede move to his club in the summer, especially given how desperate Mikel Arteta’s side are for a quality striker who guarantees goals.
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Many pundits have weighed in on Isak’s Newcastle future. Recently, Michael Owen claimed Newcastle cannot sell Isak this summer, while Toon legend Alan Shearer refuses to think about Newcastle letting Isak leave because he truly believes it will not happen.
The topic of Isak’s future came up again on TNT Sports’ ‘The Breakdown’ where pundits like Rio Ferdinand and Peter Crouch were asked which striker Arsenal should sign.
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Ferdinand claimed Isak is the most obvious answer, but Keown quickly responded with a big claim that Newcastle fans will love.
“I feel with Isak, now they’ve won (the Carabao Cup), I think it’s even more difficult to get him away from (Newcastle),” he said.
His comment was backed up by former Rangers man McCoist, who said: “If you’re owners of Newcastle, you’re actually going the other way, building a team around Isak if you want to go higher.”
The Scot is a big fan of the Swede. McCoist believes Isak is the best striker in the Premier League, mainly down to his fine form during the winter months. His goals have slowed down slightly since that statement, but he is still Newcastle’s top scorer this season by a long way.
Newcastle wait for Alexander Isak contract decision
Isak still has over three years left on his existing deal, but Newcastle are adamant that they want to tie him down to a new deal with improved perks and a more lucrative salary.
Newcastle expect Isak to sign a new deal with the promise that he will be given what he wants. The Magpies already have European football for the 2025/26 campaign, but Isak wants to play Champions League football.
Isak believes that Newcastle can give him that, and it could even come as soon as next season with Howe’s side still able to finish in the top four with 10 games left in the Premier League season.
Newcastle will offer Isak £200,000-per-week at the end of the summer, making him the club’s highest earner by some margin, overtaking Bruno Guimaraes at the top of the list.
As it stands, Isak is happy at Newcastle, even with his current deal – it just makes more sense for both parties if he is tied dow into a longer deal.