Alexander Isak is reportedly adamant he will never play for Newcastle United again as Liverpool maintain interest in striker
Ian Doyle has covered Liverpool for more than 20 years, following them across Europe in multiple Champions League and Europa League finals and as far afield as Thailand, Singapore, the United States, Hong Kong and Qatar, and has reported on the Reds winning every major honour. He previously also covered Everton for 18 years and followed England, reporting on the European Championships and World Cup final. Once had to tell Jude Law he does not drive a Mini.
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Those of a Liverpool and Newcastle United persuasion have spent much of the last month becoming increasingly entrenched in their views over the prospect of Alexander Isak moving to Anfield. But there's one aspect where they will surely now be in agreement.
The situation in the North East with the Sweden international is now looking ugly. Very, very ugly indeed.
Tuesday morning's latest missive in the ongoing efforts of Isak to prise himself away from the League Cup winners claims the player has no intention of playing for Newcastle ever again - even if he remains at St James' Park beyond the September 1 transfer deadline.
With less than three weeks remaining in the window, matters are in danger of becoming even more messy with Isak having made clear his intention to leave with Liverpool his preferred destination.
While there have been differing claims on when Isak told Newcastle of his desire to seek a fresh challenge after three years on Tyneside - the latest suggests Eddie Howe was informed by the player several weeks before the end of last season - such detail is largely irrelevant.
The crux is just how vehement Isak has become in his willingness to leave - and that Howe is acutely aware of this and is keeping his best player far away from his squad.
Nobody could dispute the optics aren't great for Isak. There's never an ideal manner to leave a club regardless of how well the player believes it has been controlled - just ask Trent Alexander-Arnold - but some ways are better than others. Isak isn't being advised particularly well.
And just how much he wants to leave may ultimately be determined by whether he issues a formal written transfer request, usually the very last resort given the financial penalties it can often trigger.
Is there any turning back for Isak at Newcastle? Right now, it appears unlikely, although it's not completely impossible. Rehabilitation would, however, be a very painful process for all parties.
Of course, all of this is primarily Newcastle's concern, the Magpies also struggling to recruit new forwards given their lack of a sporting director and chief executive. Their pre-season is not going to plan.
But it is obviously of interest to Liverpool and indirectly influences their strategy in the remaining weeks of the transfer window, with Arne Slot having heavily intimated another striker needs to be recruited in the wake of the Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
There is a suggestion Liverpool are putting Isak into a difficult position with the claim they are allowing the situation to fester by thus far declining to table a second bid for the player having had an initial approach flatly rejected at the start of the month.
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However, the fact is the only other recognised striker in transfer history to have commanded a higher fee than Liverpool's £110million offer for Isak is Kylian Mbappe, who cost £165m when moving from Monaco to Paris Saint-Germain in 2018.
Liverpool are willing to spend an enormous amount on Isak and have a valuation based on market trends. But it isn't as much as the £150m Newcastle ideally want.
The Reds' decision not to make a second bid was always caveated by the landscape at the time. That continues to dramatically change, and there's never been any indication of Liverpool ending their interest in Isak.
But they won't need to be in any immediate rush. Regardless of where Isak plies his trade after the transfer window closes, the lack of a proper pre-season means the striker won't be featuring for anyone until next month at the earliest.
The pressure, then, continues to increase on Newcastle, an inevitable consequence of their steadfast refusal to sell, although it says much there are contrasting claims regards that stance. The Tyne waters are very muddy at present.
It may well be that Newcastle, rather than digging in their heels, choose soon to once again open dialogue with Liverpool in the hope of thrashing out a British record deal for a player who evidently no longer wishes to play for them.
The clock is ticking ever louder.