Amid ongoing transfer interest from Liverpool, Alexander Isak has been advised to only consider leaving Newcastle if any of three clubs were to come calling for him.
As shared by Florian Plettenberg on Monday, the Swedish striker is on a shortlist of three centre-forwards for whom the Reds are genuinely considering a move this summer (along with Hugo Ekitike and Victor Osimhen).
The 25-year-old would require an enormous outlay from the Premier League champions if they’re to sign him, with Graeme Bailey suggesting that it’d take at least £120m for the Magpies to be persuaded into doing a deal, and even that’s only if the player were to refuse an offer of a new contract at St James’ Park.
Jenas issues transfer advice to Isak
Speaking on talkSPORT, Jermaine Jenas doesn’t think that Isak should be in any hurry to leave Newcastle and believes that should only come into consideration for three special suitors.
When asked by Jim White if he’s worried about the Sweden international leaving Tyneside, the ex-Magpies midfielder replied: “No I’m not, actually. I do honestly believe that, for Newcastle’s best players to leave, they’ve literally got to be stuck in a corner, Newcastle, as a football club. There must be no way out from a Financial Fair Play position.
“It’s not because they can’t give Alexander Isak the wages he wants and it’s not because he’s not playing in the biggest competitions and so on and so forth.”
In terms of Isak potentially joining another Premier League club, Jenas said: “[Manchester] City’s not an option for starters. Arsenal and Liverpool are an option, but I don’t see Arsenal as a massive jump forward from Newcastle, personally.
“For him to leave Newcastle, if I was Alexander Isak, this phone call needs to come in from Real Madrid, or it needs to come in from Barcelona, or maybe Liverpool right now.”
Isak to Liverpool seems unlikely, but imagine if it comes off!
It speaks volumes for the Reds’ current standing that Jenas believes they’re the only Premier League side for whom Isak could justifiably consider leaving Newcastle, if he were to seek a new challenge elsewhere.
The Magpies may have secured Champions League football and beaten Arne Slot’s side in the Carabao Cup final, but Liverpool would still represent an upward move for the Sweden striker, who’d also be guaranteed to go straight into the starting line-up at Anfield.
If FSG were to make him the Merseysiders’ second £100m+ signing of the summer, there’s no way that he’d go there to sit on the bench, especially if our centre-forward options are lessened by the prospective exit of Darwin Nunez.
Realistically it’s difficult to envisage LFC breaking their transfer record for a second time in the space of a few weeks, following the £116m acquisition of Florian Wirtz, but that Isak is even being talked about as a viable signing reflects just how much pull Liverpool currently enjoy.
It’d still take the mother and father of all offers for this move to come off before the end of August, but considering the wonders that Richard Hughes has worked in recent months, we wouldn’t completely put it past the Reds’ sporting director to somehow make it happen!
