Latest Liverpool transfer news and gossip with an update on the future of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United(Image: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
An update has emerged about Liverpool’s potential chances of signing Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak. The Reds have been heavily linked with signing Isak for the last few weeks, with the rumours ramping up since the summer transfer window opened.
Liverpool have already taken their summer spending past the £200million mark following the arrival of Milos Kerkez on Thursday. The Reds have also signed Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Armin Pecsi this summer, with Giorgi Mamardashvili also arriving from Valencia at the start of July.
Isak is just one of the strikers who have been linked with a potential move to Liverpool this summer. As the ECHO reported earlier this month, the Reds are huge fans of the Newcastle star as they continue to monitor the centre forward market.
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Various reports have claimed that Newcastle are not open to selling Isak this summer, while others have claimed that there is a price tag of around £150million or more.
The Athletic reporter David Ornstein has provided a fresh update on Liverpool’s chances of signing Isak this summer. Ornstein has explained why he would be “shocked” if a club was to succeed in signing Isak, but outlines the circumstances which could lead the Reds into trying to bring the striker to Anfield.
“Newcastle have no intention of selling him [Isak] whatsoever,” Ornstein said on The Athletic FC podcast on Wednesday. “Their plan is to keep him, they would like to renew his contract.
“There’s no sign of a renewal coming at this point, but they’re [Newcastle] in a strong position. They’ve got three years left on his terms, he’s already being paid extremely well and I’m sure they would be prepared to take that higher. He’s at the centre of this project that’s Saudi-led and very ambitious.”
Ornstein continued: “If they were to be enticed into trading, the money would be huge. We’ve always heard around £150million [price tag], we don’t know that for certain – maybe it’s more, maybe it’s less – but it would be eye-watering money, no doubt.
“We don’t know what his representatives are doing, maybe they’re entertaining possibilities, maybe they’re hearing from interested parties.
“We know about the admiration that has been long-standing from Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, we know that Liverpool have admiration for him.
“But there’s no suggestion of any developments, so we can’t play it up further than that. There have been rumours and reports regularly.
“I think it would take some encouragement from Newcastle, from the representatives from both, for clubs to really test the water and the resolve of Newcastle. And if that encouragement comes, you could imagine Liverpool trying, it doesn’t mean they’ll succeed.”
Ornstein added: “But they’ve got a lot of work to do at their own place to facilitate a spend of that level.
“I would be shocked if any club was able to do that, in terms of his suitors [including] Arsenal, Liverpool and so on, without shipping some players out to facilitate the financial space, not just on the transfer fee but also the salary.”