Alan Shearer was left rolling his eyes after Gary Lineker joked that Newcastle should swap Alexander Isak for Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike. Shearer’s reaction summed up just how weary the Magpies legend has grown of Isak’s ongoing transfer saga and Newcastle’s summer transfer window as a whole.
With just over a week left of the window, Isak’s future still remains uncertain. The 25-year-old forward is currently at loggerheads with Newcastle, the club he joined three years ago, as he pushes for a move to Liverpool. Isak has made it clear to the Magpies that he wishes to leave and was the subject of a £110million bid from the Reds earlier this month, which was swiftly turned down. Newcastle are standing firm in their stance that he will not be allowed to leave unless a bid in the region of £150m is tabled.
However, it seems unlikely that Liverpool will come back with such an offer, given that they have already splashed out around £300m on players this summer, including £79m on former Magpies target Ekitike.
Isak was absent from Newcastle's pre-season and has since been training alone. The Swedish striker dropped a bombshell statement earlier this week, accusing Newcastle of breaking "promises" and hinting that he would not play for Eddie Howe's team again.
As a result, the striker will not be involved in Liverpool's visit to Newcastle on Monday, although the north east club insisted in a statement that they'll welcome Isak back "when he's ready to rejoin his team-mates".
In the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, Gary Lineker highlighted the upcoming Premier League clash between Newcastle and Liverpool, saying: "Guess who's playing at the weekend. It's mad. The fixture list sometimes does this beautifully. Newcastle vs Liverpool, of course it is."
Shearer confirmed he would be present at the St. James' Park meeting, adding: "It's a bit tasty anyway, Newcastle vs Liverpool. So this is a bit of added spice. It will be an incredible atmosphere."
Lineker then jokingly teased the former Magpies striker by asking: "Why don't you do a swap deal? For Ekitike. Just to stir things up a little bit."
Shearer responded with a bemused laugh and said: "Oh, God." Lineker added: "Oh, sorry. But you've got to try to see the funny side of these things. It's brutal for fans and you're a fan Alan."
While Isak missed Newcastle's Premier League opener against Aston Villa last weekend - a 0-0 draw - Ekitike netted his second competitive goal for Liverpool in his second game, highlighting the quality of player Newcastle missed out on.
Many Newcastle fans had considered the Frenchman a potential replacement for Isak. Their failure to secure Ekitike's signature, along with players such as Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro, is a key reason why they are reluctant to let go of Isak this late in the transfer window.
Newcastle attempted to sign Ekitike in July, but Eintracht Frankfurt rejected their £70m offer, with the player only wanting a move to Liverpool. The striker is likely to face a frosty reception on Monday night, and, despite Isak's absence, the two sides' meeting after a summer of drama is set to be a tantalising one.