Newcastle are no longer expecting Liverpool to make advances for striker Alexander Isak this summer, having made it “fiendishly difficult” to do so.
Isak is considered the best centre-forward on the market heading into the summer, but the question has always been exactly how attainable he is.
With Liverpool expected to sell Darwin Nunez and sign a new No. 9 in the next transfer window it was only logical that the Swede would be among their targets.
But according to the i Paper‘s Mark Douglas, that has “cooled,” with Newcastle‘s stance on Isak’s future warning off both Liverpool and Arsenal at least for the time being.
He claims that the Premier League title rivals are “understood to have concluded that any move for the Newcastle man this summer would be fiendishly difficult, with the Magpies holding all the cards and in no mood to trade.”
This comes with Isak still having three years left on his contract at St James’ Park and with Newcastle having no desire to sell.
That is despite claims of a £150 million price tag – which in itself could have been prohibitive for Liverpool – with Douglas adding that “Newcastle insiders are so adamant that they want to build around Isak that no official valuation has been [set].”
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Douglas, the i Paper‘s northern football correspondent, added: “Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales told journalists the club would be ‘crazy’ to consider bids for Isak or any of their crown jewels – and that public stance has been replicated privately.”
If Isak is off the table, then, Liverpool will be required to turn to alternatives – though the process is likely further along than this reporting suggests.
The club will have been aware of the situation around Newcastle‘s No. 14 and there is even the possibility that claims of interest in Isak – one of few strikers reliably reported to be a target – has been used as a smokescreen.
Ekitike is ‘one to keep an eye on’
Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike is known to have admirers within Liverpool’s recruitment setup and would be available for significantly less than the £150 million touted for Isak.
Similarly RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, who Douglas claims is of interest to both Liverpool and Arsenal, is linked as well as Wolves‘ Matheus Cunha.
Interestingly, the Mail‘s Lewis Steele reported on Wednesday that neither Ipswich‘s Liam Delap or Brighton‘s Joao Pedro – two players already mooted – are expected to be of priority interest to the Reds.
Steele has described Ekitike, the 22-year-old Frenchman reportedly available for around £67 million, as “the name that pops up the most” and is therefore “one to keep a close eye on.”
