Latest Liverpool transfer news amid the possibility Newcastle United open the door to Alexander Isak
Alexander Isak has been linked with a move to Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool look set to face difficulties if trying to sign Alexander Isak this summer, even if Newcastle United were to take another Anfield-linked striker off the market. The destinies of both clubs are intertwined in the time that remains during the summer window.
Isak, the scorer of 62 goals across his three seasons at St. James’ Park, has previously been dubbed Liverpool’s ‘dream’ signing following the captures of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. He is one of numerous strikers to have been linked with the Reds in rumours over recent months.
Another is Hugo Ekitike, whose 22 strikes for Eintracht Frankfurt last season have supposedly attracted the attention of some of Europe’s elite.
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However, it is implied Newcastle could strike to deny Liverpool from signing either in the month-and-a-half that remains of summer.
According to The Telegraph, the Magpies have rekindled their former interest in Ekitike, as they look to bolster their attacking ranks. They made attempts in both 2022 windows, coming close to a deal with French side SC Reims at the time, only for the 22-year-old to opt to join Paris Saint-Germain instead.
They are aware they would most likely have to pay the France Under-21 international’s entire €100m (£86m) release clause to be successful this time around, fending off rival interest from the Reds and Manchester United.
From a Liverpool perspective, a question to ponder is would Newcastle’s signing of a new striker would push Isak closer to an exit? The answer is apparently not.
If Ekitike moves to St. James’ Park, it would be to join the Sweden international, not replace him, the report claims.
Isak is placed in high regard on Tyneside and with three years remaining of his contract there is no intention to allow his sale in the summer of 2025.
Eddie Howe has already missed out Joao Pedro when the forward recently moved to Chelsea and with Callum Wilson leaving at the end of his contract, Newcastle have been left without a No.9 looking towards the 2025/26 campaign.
Following their spending spree in excess of £200m, the ECHO understands Liverpool are assessing their options of players to move on in order to work out if they need to dip into the market again.
Darwin Nunez remains linked with a switch to another club, though the latest rumours would suggest Napoli’s interest is cooling as the financial demands are too great for them to match.
The Uruguayan, who has experienced a mixed time on Merseyside, signed for the Reds at the same time as Isak’s move to Newcastle. Former director of research at Anfield, Dr Ian Graham, has claimed former manager Jurgen Klopp chose to sign Nunez out of the two.
“Jurgen created a lot of success for the club, so it’s understandable why it moved in that direction,” he said. “I’m happy to talk about my colleagues persuading Jurgen [in 2017] that Mo Salah was the player to buy instead of Julian Brandt.
“In 2022, he signed Darwin Nunez instead of Alexander Isak. Both players, if you look at top young centre-forwards in Europe, they would be number one and two – or two and three but [Erling] Haaland was going to [Manchester] City and out of our price range.
“Jurgen preferred Nunez. It would be very churlish of me to say ‘It’s terrible that Jurgen had his choice’, when in the past Jurgen had been persuaded by me and my colleagues of a different choice.
“And it was still the case that we signed good players – in Nunez’s case, one of the best young strikers in Europe.”