Newcastle United are eyeing a move Benjamin Sesko, who is set to replace Alexander Isak at St James' Park
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United
(Image: Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Liverpool's pursuit of Alexander Isak could be put on hold after Newcastle United had an offer of £70m rejected for RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko.
The Magpies are eyeing a move for the 22-year-old Slovenian international after Isak made it clear last month that he wanted to leave St James' Park to join Liverpool.
But Newcastle's attempts to make a swift move for Sesko, who is a target for Manchester United, have fallen short after Leipzig rejected an opening offer for the forward.
The Athletic reports that the Bundesliga outfit, who signed Sesko from Red Bull Salzburg in 2023, are demanding a deal that includes add-ons and a sell-on clause.
At this moment in time, it is uncertain if and how Newcastle's failed bid could impact Liverpool's pursuit of Isak.
The Reds had an opening offer of £110m firmly rejected by the Magpies for the wantaway forward earlier this week.
But despite the suggestion that the Premier League champions won't be tabling a second bid for the 25-year-old, the ECHO understands that Liverpool are taking a step back to see how events unfold between Isak and Newcastle.
Over the weekend, Isak returned to the North East after a period of individual training at his former club Real Sociedad.
Speaking to the media ahead of Newcastle's pre-season friendly with Tottenham Hotspur in Seoul, South Korea, Eddie Howe said: “I really don’t know what is going to happen next, but from our perspective, we still support Alex in every way, and my wish is still that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again."
The forward is set to reunite with his teammates at Darsley Park next week ahead of pre-season friendlies against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid next weekend.