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<\/p>\nThis week’s Blood Red column looks ahead to Liverpool’s trip to Newcastle United on Monday – a fixture that will have Alexander Isak’s long-term future hanging over it<\/p>\n
Paul Gorst is the Liverpool ECHO’s Liverpool FC correspondent and brings readers the inside track on all matters Anfield day in, day out. Now into his fifth season in the role, Paul follows the Reds home and away, wherever they play – including pre season. He brings you all the latest Liverpool news first each day, plus exclusive interviews and insightful, independent analysis. A journalist with over a decade’s worth of experience, he has worked at the ECHO since 2016.<\/p>\n
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Alexander Isak celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James’ Park last season(Image: Justin Setterfield\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Anyone with a passing interest in Liverpool FC and a ‘For You’ tab on X this week will be forgiven for thinking Arne Slot and his players have a one-way trip booked to the Lions’ Den on Monday night.<\/p>\n
The fanbase of the Magpies are seemingly so outraged by the Premier League champions’ pursuit of Alexander Isak, that the first home game of the new season will be more akin to Maximus and his mates being sent out to battle the King of the Jungle, if social media is to be believed.<\/p>\n
Taking the temperature of an entire club’s support via the medium of sites like X – formerly Twitter – is always a dangerous and foolhardy pursuit, but there can be little denying that the emotions and, as a result, the atmosphere will be a little more charged than usual given the Isak antics this week.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Liverpool must be ruthless with Alexander Isak transfer – it could soon be Arne Slot’s crisis<\/a>READ MORE: Liverpool sent blunt Alexander Isak transfer message as Hugo Ekitike point made – ‘Can you imagine’<\/a><\/p>\n The Sweden international’s genuine bombshell, which arrived via his Instagram account on Tuesday night, was exquisitely timed for those who like their transfer sagas to have a little dramatic flourish or two along the way.<\/p>\n The PFA’s theoretical 24\/25 Team of the Year had barely shuffled off stage left at the Manchester Opera House, sans-Isak, when the man himself, who was conspicuous only by his absence, caused a ripple effect with his explosive online outburst.<\/p>\n “I’ve kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken,” he wrote. “That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn’t reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors.<\/p>\n “The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time. To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading. When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue.”<\/p>\n Later that same night, Newcastle, understood to have been blindsided by the statement, hurried out their own riposte, essentially telling their No.14 that he would be going nowhere.<\/p>\n “As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired,” they wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n “We do not foresee those conditions being met.”<\/p>\n Liverpool<\/a>, like everyone else on Planet Football this week, have sat back and watched it all unfold. But while neutrals might have reached for the popcorn as an increasingly ugly saga has plummeted to new depths, the champions themselves have a vested interest, even if Arne Slot<\/a> was trying his best to play that down in his Thursday press conference<\/a>.<\/p>\n