Jamie Carragher has weighed in on Liverpool spending a British record transfer fee on Newcastle United star Alexander Isak this summer.
When Champions League football was secured in May, no Newcastle United fan could have predicted how bad the situation regarding Alexander Isak’s future would get.
Isak is currently refusing to play for Newcastle, having recently released a statement about how trust has been lost between the two parties following promises which have not been fulfilled. The 25-year-old is subject to serious interest from Liverpool, who have already taken top target Hugo Ekitike from Eddie Howe’s clutches this summer; they could soon take his star striker too.
Alan Shearer was livid with Isak, with the Newcastle legend stating that the striker should not hang on to promises which are not written down.
For now, Howe has confirmed Isak will not play against Liverpool on Monday, with Anthony Gordon set to step in and play as a striker for a second successive Premier League game.
While Liverpool fans are hopeful of signing Isak, Jamie Carragher appears to be very against the idea.
Alexander Isak rues a missed chance during a Premier League game between Newcastle United and West Ham United.
Photo by Alex Dodd – CameraSport via Getty Images
Jamie Carragher says £130m would be far too much for Alexander Isak
Liverpool have already bid £110million for Isak this summer, but Newcastle are standing firm and demanding around £150million for their star striker.
In Isak’s absence, Newcastle are looking to sign a new striker. Reports have suggested that talks are being held for players like Nicolas Jackson and Jorgen Strand Larsen, but Howe has publicly confirmed that no deals are close to completion.
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Newcastle would benefit significantly from the Isak money, even if they do not want to sell him. While Newcastle remain adamant on their price tag, Carragher has told Liverpool to proceed with caution.
“Liverpool must be ruthless. It cannot be “Isak or no one,” he said in a column for the Telegraph.
“Whatever their plan B is, they need to start thinking about executing it. When Liverpool sold Luis Díaz, such is the trust in those in charge of their strategy there was an assumption they had a younger replacement lined up.
“Obviously, I would like to see the Swedish striker become a Liverpool player, but not at any cost, and the suggestion that the first £110m offer for Isak is “derisory” is divorced from reality.
“If Liverpool bid more than £130 million, it is too much. You would want Kylian Mbappé for the fee.
“From the moment Isak made his debut against Liverpool at Anfield, he has stood out, but there are concerns. Now 25, he is yet to prove he has the durability of Salah.
“He has failed to start 36 league games over his three seasons in England and 10 of his last 44 league goals were penalties. He would not be taking them at Anfield.”
Eddie Howe confirms private conversations with Alexander Isak about his Newcastle United future
Isak looked like a dejected figure in recent training ground images. He surely wants the transfer saga to end as much as the Newcastle fans do. Sadly, his resolution means leaving the club that gave him a chance in 2022.
The feeling throughout the summer is that Newcastle do not want to sell Isak, and that is the same feeling today. The 25-year-old is still contracted to Newcastle and has three years left on his deal.
Arne Slot knows Isak will not play against Liverpool, most likely to his delight, knowing how much of a problem he has been to the Reds over the last 12 months.
There were reports that talks had taken place between Newcastle and Isak about his future just a couple of weeks before the end of last season. Howe was asked about those conversations in his pre-match press conference.
“Yeah, me and Alex had conversations towards the end of the season,” he said.
“Yes, I am not going to sit here and deny that. I have always said that individual conversations are better off remaining private.”