The star striker is digging his heels in for a move to Liverpool
Alexander Isak reacts
Alexander Isak could still arrive at Anfield before the end of the window
(Image: Getty Images)
Alexander Isak is digging his heels in at Newcastle United, trying to force the club to sell him in the three weeks between now and the end of the transfer window - but some fans in the ECHO comments section are saying that Liverpool may well need to turn their attention to other issues first, which may scupper the whole deal.
Newcastle rejected Liverpool's first bid for their star striker Isak, and there has been no movement on the Reds' end since. Journalist David Ornstein reports that Isak has no wish to "reintegrate" with the Magpies' squad after being made to train alone, even if he isn't sold this summer.
Isak will not feature for Newcastle's Premier League opener against Aston Villa, according to manager Eddie Howe, showing that the relationship between the player and the club has broken down. Newcastle's public position is still that he is not for sale and will be priced accordingly, and it remains to be seen whether any other club will be able to strike a deal for the 25-year-old between now and the end of the window.
Some fans think that Isak is no longer the priority for Liverpool, and that events may have passed him by, with the Reds' defence now the focus. Reader Whqiu2003 says: "Isak is a good player but as a Liverpool fan, I wouldn't want the club to spend £100m on him. That money would be better spent on getting a good CB... just move on and build the squad."
Commenter Theshield agrees: "We should have dropped the Isak issue ages ago and gone elsewhere, we definitely need a CB as well so we need to get a move on."
Guille says Isak may not be the type of striker they need: "I reiterate it was a mistake to sell Nunez. The defensive weakness is pretty obvious and it will be costly. Buying Isak is a waste of time and money, we need strong forwards who can fight for the ball."
Others say that the Community Shield loss showed that Liverpool still need forwards. Brooskie2 writes: "We cannot lose three forwards and replace them with one and expect to get the same results. When Ekitike came off in the Palace game we had no one up front, no recognised striker, we need a couple of strikers unless Slot intends to use Rio.
"If that's the case we still need a world-class striker. Things are getting too close to the wire with the Isak transfer for my liking, but who knows, we may hopefully pull it off. Guehi is a must for my money, should we have any injuries during the season we will have a hole we cannot fill. If Rodrygo is willing to make the switch to Liverpool then we need to do it, before the likes of Arsenal and City make a move."
Bigan says: "It's looking unlikely we will sign Isak which will be a major blow. There is no way we win the league with our present attack and defence."
On our Facebook page, Sharon Lowe says: "Isak has made all the right moves in his decision to want to play for Liverpool. Now they need to put in the right offer to prove their intent."
Ben Spindler writes: "Ekitike was brilliant at Wembley but I think Isak scores the 2 he missed and we win that in the 90. Taking nothing away from Palace though!"
Dee Dee says: "After the game yesterday, after the haste to sell Diaz and Nunez, we should buy him."
JT adds: £150M is not worth it. Go get 2 more CBs in, then sign another affordable striker. Newcastle fans are naive... they talked about punishing Isak by putting him on reserves, not playing him, not paying him etc. I'd say go ahead, do that to an already disgruntled player. By January, the fans and Eddie Howe can't wait to offload Isak."
Have your say! Do Liverpool need Isak, or are there other priorities now? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.