Liverpool saw a bid of £110m for Alexander Isak rejected by Newcastle United on Friday
Eddie Howe, Alexander Isak and Arne Slot(Image: Getty Images)
Should Liverpool sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United this summer, his arrival would inevitably be greeted by much fanfare.
But it was a different story for the Reds’ latest signing in attack. Liverpool agreed an initial £200k deal with Salford City for highly-rated striker Will Wright earlier this week, beating Arsenal to land the 17-year-old’s signature.
The teenager duly underwent a medical ahead of completing his switch. But while he has become the Reds’ eighth signing of the summer, neither Liverpool nor Salford have publicly confirmed his transfer. But he is now a Red, having made his first appearance for the club as Rob Page’s Under-21s drew 0-0 with Hull City at the Academy on Saturday.
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The club did acknowledge his arrival in their report on their official website, writing: “striker Will Wright made his debut for the last 30 minutes.”
But if there is to be an official announcement or unveiling beyond that, the public are yet to see it. Given the fact he is still only a teenager and will start the campaign with Page’s Under-21s, that would be no strange thing.
However, Wright’s arrival at Liverpool is a reminder of how quickly things can change in football.
The Reds agreed a deal with Salford that will see them pay £200k up front along with a potential number of add-ons.
However, it is understood that Arsenal offered a bigger fee to the League Two outfit and were prepared to pay more in wages for the forward.
They had explored a deal but after being outbid by Arsenal, no longer considered it a suitable move for the club at the time as they withdrew from the running.
But in the end Reds won the race for the striker because of Wright’s own personal preference, with a deal not right for the club until it was.
The 17-year-old favoured a transfer to Anfield for footballing reasons and the fact he would be able to stay in the North West rather than having to move to London. All’s well that ends well.
But with Liverpool in the market for a new senior forward, could a similar ‘U-turn’ of sorts also be about to take place?
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The Reds interest in Isak is well-documented, with the club making a first official bid for the striker on Friday.
However, after their offer of £110m was knocked back by Newcastle, it was made clear that Liverpool are not currently intending to submit a second bid for the Swede.
The ECHO understands that the Reds currently consider it futile to return with an improved offer, given the swiftness and clarity of the Magpies’ rejection.
But few onlookers truly believe that will be the end of this transfer saga. For one, Isak has made it clear he wants to leave Newcastle and Liverpool are his destination of choice.
In the meantime, the Magpies continue to pursue new attacking recruits of their own with RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko and Brentford forward Yoane Wissa both on their wishlist.
Having spent the past week training in Spain at former club Real Sociedad, Isak is believed to have now returned to Newcastle. In the forthcoming days he will be reunited with his team-mates and coaches when they too return to the United Kingdom after the club’s pre-season tour of the Far East.
As things stand, he remains a Newcastle player with the Magpies’ standing firm on their desire to keep the player. Likewise, as things stand, no second bid from Liverpool is forthcoming.
But as proved to be the case with Wright, things can change very quickly in football. Two weeks ago, the Reds were out of the running for the teenager. Now he is a their player and has just made his debut for the club.
For as long as Isak wishes to move on, this ongoing transfer saga remains unresolved.
Just because Newcastle do not want to sell and Liverpool have not submitted a second offer as of today, that does not mean that will still be the case tomorrow.