Newcastle United’s failed move to Benjamin Sesko has ramifications for Alexander Isak and Liverpool.
It is another bitter blow for Newcastle United, who had gone all out to sign the RB Leipzig striker by tabling a HIGHER offer than Man United earlier this week.
Although it was never communicated officially, the Magpies were aware of Sesko’s preference to join Man United but hoped they could outbid their Premier League rivals. However, Leipzig respected the player’s wishes and proceeded to negotiate with the Old Trafford club.
A fixed fee of £66m plus £7m in add-ons was then agreed between the two clubs. Sesko arrived in Manchester on Thursday evening and is due to undergo medical tests today before putting pen to paper on a five-year contract.
Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United has ramifications for Alexander Isak
Sesko’s move to Man United has big ramifications for wantaway striker Alexander Isak, with Newcastle refusing to sanction a sale before a replacement is found.
Isak has told the Magpies he wants to leave and join Premier League champions Liverpool, who had a £110m bid rejected last Friday and vowed not to return to the table until Eddie Howe’s side find another striker in the transfer market.
If and when a replacement is found - other options are being explored - Newcastle will be more receptive to selling Isak. However, a move would still be subject to the Reds meeting their valuation, which is understood to be £150m.
Alexander Isak training alone at Newcastle United
Isak is currently training alone at Newcastle after acting poorly. The Swede sat out the club’s pre-season tour of Asia due to a “minor thigh issue” but that did not stop him from travelling to Spain to train individually at former club Real Sociedad last week.
It was a trip that Howe admitted he found out about through the media. The head coach then later warned that the 25-year-old would have to earn the right to train with his teammates again.
Howe told Mail Sport. “You have to earn the right to train with us, We are Newcastle United. The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team and part of a squad - you have to act in the right way. So that is also at play here.
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“We will make sure that any player does that to earn the right to train with the group. No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal.”
After landing back in England on Monday, Newcastle’s first-team squad trained for the first time on Wednesday. Isak, however, was not part of the group, instead arriving at the training ground around 4pm, after the rest of the squad had left.
It was a similar situation on Thursday, as the player, alone, arrived to train, hours after the rest of the group had departed Benton.
Newcastle take on Espanyol on Friday evening at St James’ Park, then Atletico Madrid less than 24 hours later, but Isak won’t be involved in either game.
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