Alexander Isak has just seven days to resolve his Newcastle turmoil by joining Liverpool or the Sweden striker faces an extremely awkward season ahead
15:00, 25 Aug 2025
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United reacts during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Everton FC at St James' Park on May 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)
Alexander Isak's transfer demands date back over a year(Image: George Wood, Getty Images)
Alexander Isak has a huge week ahead of him before the transfer window slams shut.
The 25-year-old has made it abundantly clear to Newcastle that he wants to leave the club as he attempts to force through a move to Liverpool before the deadline. It’s almost a month since Liverpool first made the Magpies aware of their interest, and a lot has happened, but not between the clubs.
Liverpool saw their first, and so far only bid of £110million for Isak rejected on August 1, as the Magpies made it clear the striker is not for sale, with any offers below £150m not enticing the club to the negotiating table.
Skip back a few days to when Liverpool first made contact with Newcastle saying they were prepared to blow their own £116m British record fee they splashed on Florian Wirtz just weeks before out of the water.
However, the saga seemingly began 12 months ago as Newcastle straddled the borders of breaching Profit and Sustainability (PSR) guidelines.
Alexander Isak walks with Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe says he wants to see Alexander Isak play for Newcastle again(Image: PA)
Talks over a fresh bumper deal were scuppered as Newcastle narrowly avoided a breach of regulations in June 2024, having to offload Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to Nottingham Forest and Brighton respectively.
Due to the PSR scare, former sporting director Paul Mitchell vowed "we need to make sure that we don't end up back there any time soon".
Newcastle tightened up their wage structure, with sporting director Dan Ashworth and owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi reportedly assuring Isak his situation would be revisited in the summer, but with those key figures now gone, Isak has received no such talks.
Isak has repeatedly stated that the trust between him and the club has been broken and instead of a new deal, he now wants out for a fresh start.
The situation unravelled quickly with Isak sent home from Newcastle’s opening pre-season defeat against Celtic due to transfer speculation before he was omitted from the squad that jetted off to the Far East last month.
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates with the trophy after winning the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium on March 16, 2025 in London, England.
Alexander Isak has brought a lot of success to St James' Park(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
A minor injury was cited at the time for his absence, but it was clear from the start that Isak was attempting to force a move away from the club.
Isak headed back to train alone at his former club Real Sociedad as he alienated himself from his Newcastle team-mates. When Eddie Howe’s squad returned from tour, Isak too made his way back to Darsley Park, but trained alone, away from the squad.
The Swede’s future is anyone’s guess at the moment. He could get his move to Liverpool or elsewhere for that matter, although the Reds remain the club leading the way. However, they are currently unwilling to stump up Newcastle’s £150m price tag that they are staying strong on.
Newcastle have retained the same stance that Isak won’t be allowed to leave unless they are satisfied with the fee, with the striker still having three years left on his contract.
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The options then become very limited once the window closes, with the top leagues in Europe closing on September 1, a Saudi Pro league escape only remains on the table for an extra 24 hours before their window shuts on September 2.
An audacious move to Turkey could happen given their window closes on September 13, but a move to the Super Lig hasn’t been seriously reported as of yet.
Then that leaves only two choices: Isak is left to rot in the reserves until January, or Newcastle attempt to reintegrate him.
The latter is the one that is more likely to at least be tried, but that now looks a whole lot more difficult after his outburst on social media after being named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Season.
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A saga that has been unfolding for over a year now has just seven days left to run before Isak is left in a very awkward position.