Liverpool retain an interest in Newcastle's Alexander Isak but their hopes of signing the striker have seemingly suffered another blow
Liverpool target Alexander Isak in action for Newcastle
Liverpool target Alexander Isak in action for Newcastle(Image: Photo by Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Liverpool may have just received their final answer on whether a move for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak is achievable this summer.
The Reds have spent heavily during this window, bringing in Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. However, following the departure of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich, and the likely exit of Darwin Nunez to Al Hilal, they now risk going into the new season short on attacking options.
That makes Liverpool’s pursuit of Isak no surprise, given he is arguably the standout forward potentially available this summer. However, that availability has always depended on two things.
The player pushing to leave and Newcastle finding a suitable replacement - and so far, only one of those dominoes has fallen. Newcastle have consistently maintained that the Swede is not for sale, and rejected a bid from the Reds worth in the region of £110 million just last week.
Newcastle’s recent pursuit of Benjamin Sesko suggested there could be a route out of St James’ Park for Isak, but the player now appears to have chosen a move to Manchester United instead. It’s another blow for the Magpies in a frustrating window, having failed to land several of their targets, including Liverpool’s most recent signing, Ekitike.
Now, Eddie Howe and Newcastle face a difficult decision over whether they push ahead with alternative options, or dig their heels in and force Isak to stay. While there appears to be genuine interest in Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, who is himself trying to engineer a move to the North East, he will likely be viewed more as a replacement for Callum Wilson than for Isak.
Other names have been linked, of course. Paris Saint-Germain’s Goncalo Ramos is the latest mentioned in reports. Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson is also said to be available, although the Blues’ reported valuation of £80 million - already reduced from their initial £100 million asking price - remains absurdly inflated.
No matter how desperate Newcastle become, it’s hard to see them overpaying to that extent.
Ollie Watkins has also been mentioned, but Aston Villa are expected to demand a significant fee given he has three years remaining on his deal at Villa Park. The fact he turns 30 in December may also lead Newcastle to view him more as a Wissa alternative to replace Wilson than a long-term successor to Isak.
So, with Newcastle effectively back to square one, another week has slipped away in the transfer window. There’s still time before the deadline and things can certainly change, but Liverpool cannot wait indefinitely for their North East counterparts to get their ducks in a row. At some point, they may have to move on to other targets.
And with the Sesko saga now seemingly resolved, Liverpool may soon have to accept the reality that Isak is simply unattainable this summer, regardless of how much he may want to push for the move. The one thing he, and Liverpool, cannot control is Newcastle’s ability to sign a viable replacement.
There may come a point when both parties must stand down and revisit the situation in January or next summer.
Only time will tell whether Newcastle have already come to terms with that reality, or whether there are still more twists and turns to come.