Liverpool are moving towards the sharp end of the transfer window with big movements still to be made.
The Reds got plenty done early into the summer, making sure their squad has a different look heading into the new season.
However, further work needs to be carried out, with sales starting to shape the final weeks of the market.
Darwin Nunez is on the verge of leaving to join Al Hilal, meaning Liverpool have lost three of their six forward options from last term.
Federico Chiesa is likely to go as well, with Liverpool attempting to go big on Alexander Isak as a way of filling in the gaps.
Newcastle have so far been unwilling sellers, though, and after losing out on their nominal replacement, Benjamin Sesko, may be even less keen to sell. According to journalist David Ornstein, however, the Magpies are still unlikely to be able to keep hold of Isak.
Benjamin Sesko in action for RB Leipzig against VfB Stuttgart in the Bundesliga.
Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Benjamin Sesko failure won’t affect Alexander Isak exit
After Newcastle lost out on Sesko to Manchester United, there have been rumours that Liverpool may switch their attention to signing Bradley Barcola of PSG.
However, it has since been reported that Liverpool won’t sign Isak and Barcola. And according to Ornstein, there should still be confidence at Anfield that they can get their first choice: Isak.
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“Alexander Isak intends to leave Newcastle. How does the Sesko situation impact it? Of course he would have been in Newcastle’s mind as the replacement,” the reporter told The Athletic FC Podcast.
“I think Isak and his representatives have made it clear to Newcastle for some time that their plan is to leave and I think the Newcastle chapter is closed from what we’re hearing. Newcastle hold his contract until 2028, the ownership have the power to hold onto Alexander Isak, but I don’t think they are stupid, they know the situation they have on their hands and they’ll continue to find suitable replacements.”
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“I don’t want to put firm judgements on how this will play out,” adds Ornstein. “But as things stand, I don’t think the Sesko deal not happening suddenly collapses Isak’s departure.
“By the time the window shuts on the 1st of September, I think there is a very good chance Isak will have departed, and his preference is to join Liverpool.”
What’s likely to happen next?
Clearly, Newcastle’s failure to land Sesko will at the very least delay Liverpool’s pursuit of Isak.
Had the Magpies been able to convince Sesko that his future lay on Tyneside, things would have become a lot more straightforward.
But, as Ornstein says, Isak is seemingly not backing down. The Swede appears to want out whether Newcastle find their replacement or not.
While he clearly does not hold the cards with three years to run on his contract, there is little sense in Newcastle keeping him and tanking his value. They need bodies in, and the funds created from Isak’s sale will help massively with that.
We’d still expect to see progress made on a Newcastle striker target before Liverpool come back in with a second offer for Isak, but the longer August continues to drag, the higher the chances of the Reds testing the Toon’s resolve regardless.