Newcastle United are adamant they do not want to sell the striker this summer
Could anyone rival Liverpool in a bid for Alexander Isak?
Could anyone rival Liverpool in a bid for Newcastle's Alexander Isak?
A summer transfer window which opened even earlier than usual is now entering its final days . . . and Newcastle United are yet to receive a suitable offer for Alexander Isak.
Take out all the claims and rebuttals - without a bid that comes close to the Magpies' valuation of the 25-year-old, no one would expect the club to cave in and sell their prize asset.
Their stance, underlined by United's response to Isak's statement on Tuesday night is that they do not expect the criteria to be met which would lead to his departure from St James' Park before the September 1 deadline.
The reality is that with a player who actively wants to leave and, more alarmingly, does not want to play, a bid in the region of £150m could well bring this sorry saga to an end.
Liverpool have had one offer swiftly turned down, but will they return with a second bid? And if not, can anyone step in with a dramatic last-minute swoop?
Both Isak and Newcastle face a predicament neither would have wanted unless a resolution can be found - here are just some of the potential options.
Liverpool
Arne Slot has never been drawn on the subject of Isak, but if there's one criticism than can reasonably levelled at Liverpool is that they've yet to put their money where their mouth is and follow up interest with a realstic bid.
Their first offer of £110m was never going to persuade Newcastle to sell and has only caused the player to dig his heels in. If they want him, they know what they have to do to get him.
Now's the time to put up or shut up. And don't expect anything but a hostile reception from the United faithful on Monday night.
Real Madrid
The Spanish giants are one of the few clubs able to afford Isak, and while Liverpool is his preferred choice, it would be difficult to imagine he would turn down a return to La Liga.
With Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham as attacking options, you could argue Xavi Alonso has no need to spend big on Isak. That's not stopped them before, of course, but they have been notably quiet throughout this saga.
Manchester City
Can they afford him? Probably. Do they need him? Probably not.
Erling Haaland is Pep Guardiola's main man, and while Isak can play in a variety of roles across the front line, it doesn't appear that he features on their wishlist at this stage.
As much as they would love to stop Liverpool from strengthening, a bid from City would have to come out of the blue.
Arsenal
January was all about Arsenal's interest in Isak, but they opted to pursue Viktor Gyokeres instead, landing his Sweden international team-mate after a long transfer negotiation.
That probably means the Gunners now don't have the resources to turn their focus back on Isak, even if striker Kai Havertz is facing more time on the sidlines through injury.
Saudi Pro League
When it comes to spending power, sides in the Saudi Pro League can match Europe's elite. Even with the inevitable questions that would arise from any PIF-owned clubs making a move, few could argue that they don't have the resources.
However, at 25, it is highly doubtful that Isak would want to move to a league that is still developing, even if they can match his wage demands.