Newcastle have informed Alexander Isak they will not sell him this summer, despite his desire to leave, but Liverpool's pursuit of the striker could now be aided by Nicolas Jackson's situation at Chelsea
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United with Eddie Howe the head coach / manager of Newcastle United during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Nottingham Forest FC at St James' Park on February 23, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Eddie Howe wants to keep hold of Alexander Isak(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool's pursuit of Alexander Isak has been given an unexpected boost, with Newcastle United in a better position to secure a replacement striker before the transfer window closes. Isak's future at Newcastle is still up in the air despite the Premier League season fast approaching.
The 25-year-old Swede wants to leave the Magpies after three successful seasons in the north east. Liverpool, who have already signed Hugo Ekitike this summer, made an initial bid of £110million for Isak, which was turned down by Newcastle.
Newcastle have since made it clear to Isak that they will not let him go unless they have a suitable replacement lined up. It's reported that Isak has been told he won't play for the club again until he accepts this fact - something the striker is understood not to have taken well.
But while the ex-Real Sociedad star is forced to train separately from his team-mates and miss pre-season friendlies, Newcastle target Nicolas Jackson is experiencing similar treatment in west London.
The Chelsea forward, 24, told the club he wants to leave Stamford Bridge earlier this week. Jackson was consequently left out of Enzo Maresca's squad for Friday's match against Bayer Leverkusen and spent the day training alone at Cobham.
He was also omitted from Sunday's clash against AC Milan despite being the Blues' main striker last term. The forward is expected to leave before the summer transfer window closes amid interest from Newcastle and Tottenham. Chelsea are willing to sanction a sale despite his contract extension until 2033 last season.
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson looks down on the pitch
Nicolas Jackson is seemingly on his way out of Chelsea
Jackson's potential arrival at Newcastle would represent a welcome boost, given Eddie Howe's urgent need for a striker, and could facilitate Isak's departure to Liverpool. The Magpies have already missed out on several key targets this summer, including Chelsea signing Joao Pedro, Benjamin Sesko and Ekitike.
Isak's possible transfer to Liverpool has only exacerbated the situation, given that he scored a pivotal 27 goals last season across all competitions. Despite Newcastle's aforementioned stance on keeping Isak, it remains unclear whether Liverpool will return with an improved second bid.
Jackson, who joined Chelsea for £32m in 2023, would offer flexibility in attack following a campaign where he registered 13 goals and six assists, reaching a total of 30 goals since his move from Villarreal.
Blues head coach Maresca commented on his recent squad exclusion: "He's okay. When the transfer window is open, unfortunately or fortunately, anything can happen. This also involves Nico's situation. At the moment, we also had two strikers arrive, both of them in the USA, Joao (Pedro) and Liam (Delap). So we will see what happens."