Newcastle United do not see Alexander Isak leaving for Liverpool this summer.
Newcastle have confirmed the latest on Isak, who has been trying to leave St James’ Park for what feels like an age now.
Isak wants to leave Newcastle but the club have confirmed they “do not foresee” their conditions for a sale being met during what remains of the summer transfer window.
Indeed, Luke Edwards of The Daily Telegraph has claimed that Liverpool would have first needed to bid £150million and that Newcastle would need to sign replacements.
While it’s certainly not impossible that things could change, neither of those dominoes look set to fall with such little time left in the window.
According to The Daily Mail, Isak will now be told by Newcastle that he will not be joining Liverpool this summer.
That should, at least in theory, end all the speculation – though this saga has brought many twists and turns that onlookers have not seen coming.
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Still, this ugly transfer saga now looks to be approaching something of an end game. For now.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the winners and losers.
Newcastle United chairman Yasir Al-rumayyan is seen at a golf event in Scotland.
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Winner
PIF
The Newcastle United owners have long insisted that Isak isn’t for sale this summer.
PIF, however, have been chasing big-name strikers and that certainly suggested they were looking to source some kind of replacement for the wantaway Sweden star.
Selling Isak after so much talk about refusing to cave into the external pressure would have been damaging for the owners.
Newcastle have other top players who will no doubt be coveted by other clubs. If Isak were to get his way, perhaps others in the dressing room would take heart when interest emerges in them next summer.
PIF have come good on what they’ve been saying all summer. It has been a damaging summer for the club, but they have at least proven they will not be bullied into a sale.
Arne Slot speaks during a Liverpool FC press conference during pre-season in Singapore.
Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Losers
Liverpool (for now)
Liverpool made a huge bid for Isak and still haven’t signed the striker they are looking for even after hijacking Newcastle’s move for Hugo Ekitike.
Now, they will potentially need to find an alternative during what remains of the summer window.
At some point, Liverpool may still land Isak. While it would certainly take a dramatic turn of events this summer, there’s always next year.
Still, they are currently on course to head into the season without their top striker target. Ekitike, of course, may prove to be enough but the fact they were prepared to bid for Isak after landing the Frenchman is an indication that they still think they need more.
Alexander Isak chases the ball during a Premier League game between Manchester United and Newcastle United.
Photo by Dave Howarth – CameraSport via Getty Images
Alexander Isak
Isak has been desperate to leave Newcastle but now faces an awkward return to the fold on Tyneside.
Newcastle fans have turned on Isak, while there have been suggestions that even some of his own teammates are divided on the matter.
For clarity (aggregators have taken this out) here is context…
“While team spirit remains strong, there is now said to be a divide among the players – at least in the sense of those who support Isak & those who don’t”
A divide in opinion does not mean a divided dressing room https://t.co/aU61vIjRqJ
— Craig Hope (@CraigHope_DM) August 20, 2025
View Tweet
Player power has not won out here, though obviously things could still change. Quite how Isak comes back from the fan chants and his explosive statement on Tuesday night remains to be seen.
Sadly for the former Real Sociedad striker though, it increasingly looks as if he will have to find a way to appease supporters.
Alexander Isak comes off the pitch during a Premier League game between Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe has always talked about how the door is open for Isak on Tyneside. Given he’s one of the best strikers in the world, it’s an understandable position to take.
Newcastle would be a better side with Isak in the team. What version of Isak they’re set to get this season, however, is up for debate.
The player clearly wants to leave and is well within his rights on that. To have gone about it like this, however, has only made life far more difficult for him.
Now, the Newcastle United manager faces what could be his biggest challenge yet. To somehow bring Isak back into the fold will be an almighty piece of man management.
The circus will continue even if he does stay and Howe will be expected to try and make sense of it all.