Revealed: Man United 'make enquiry' about wantaway Newcastle striker Alexander Isak - here's how he reacted
The Newcastle striker has emerged as one of the most sought-after players in Europe this summer, with Liverpool working behind the scenes to prise him away from St James' Park despite having a £110million bid rejected.
And now, it has emerged that United also made an approach in recent days – only to be knocked back.
According to German journalist Florian Plettenberg, Isak made it immediately clear he has no interest in joining Ruben Amorim 's side, with his heart set on a move to Anfield.
Plettenberg also claims that personal terms with Liverpool are '100 per cent done', with a contract running until 2031 already agreed.
The Swede's firm stance underlines the scale of the challenge facing Newcastle, who remain adamant he will not be sold unless Liverpool return with a significantly improved offer and replacements are lined up.
Mail Sport revealed earlier on Friday that senior figures at Newcastle were left 'baffled' by Liverpool's conduct after receiving a formal offer £10m lower than the figure previously discussed.
There is a growing feeling within the club that the Reds have 'strung along' Isak, who pulled out of their pre-season tour citing a minor thigh injury and has since been training alone at former club Real Sociedad.
There is sympathy for Isak among some Newcastle staff, with sources suggesting the 25-year-old has been poorly advised and left in limbo.
United's approach is understood to reflect their ongoing doubts over Rasmus Hojlund's long-term role, with manager Ruben Amorim keen to strengthen up front after last season's dismal 15th-place finish.
But Isak's apparent response to their enquiry seemingly left no room for doubt – it's Liverpool or nothing, despite rumours he could possibly earn as much as £600,000 per week at Saudi side Al-Hilal.
Should the Reds eventually return and strike a deal, Newcastle are expected to revive their interest in RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, who is also admired at Old Trafford.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
11 minutes ago
- Metro
Darwin Nunez next club odds slashed as team makes move for Liverpool striker
The bookmakers expect Darwin Nunez to make a summer move to Saudi Arabia, with Al Hilal making a move in their pursuit of the Liverpool striker. The Uruguayan is available for transfer as the Reds significantly revamp their forward line after winning the Premier League title. Hugo Ekitike has arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt and Florian Wirtz has been brought in from Bayer Leverkusen, while Liverpool continue to be linked with the likes of Newcastle's Alexander Isak and Real Madrid's Rodrygo. Luis Diaz has left for Bayern Munich and of course the club lost Diogo Jota in tragic circumstances due to his shocking death last month. Nunez has been linked with a move away from Anfield all summer after a disappointing season on a personal level, despite the team's success under Arne Slot. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. The 26-year-old scored just five Premier League goals in 30 appearances, netting seven times in 47 outings across all competitions. The Reds are happy to let him go, but want a significant return on the initial £64m they paid Benfica for him in 2022. Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal have made a move, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reporting that they have 'presented their project and plan to Darwin Nunez in recent days.' A deal is far from done, with negotiations still to take place between the clubs and the player. While a number of players have been tempted to the Saudi Pro League, plenty more have also decided they would prefer to continue their career in Europe, turning down the vast riches on offer in Saudi Arabia. 4/5 Any Saudi Arabian team3/1 AC Milan4/1 Liverpool9/1 Juventus 10/1 Newcastle Odds courtesy of bet365 Nunez may well have an option to make a big move within Europe, with AC Milan also interested in signing him this summer. Italian transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the Uruguayan is AC Milan's first choice as they look for a new striker this summer and they have held talks with him already. The Serie A side will not be able to compete with Al Hilal on a transfer fee or wages, but will hope to appeal to Nunez by offering a higher level of competition. There is yet to be a bid from any side, with Napoli and Juventus also linked with a move for him this summer but their interest seemingly fading. It was a difficult season for the striker under Slot, with the manager criticising his work rate in February after back-to-back performances that disappointed the Dutchman. More Trending 'I helped him by saying you can miss a chance,' Slot told a press conference in February after Nunez made substitute appearances against Wolves and Aston Villa, missing a glaring opportunity in the latter. 'I wasn't only hard on him. But for the second time in a row I wasn't happy with his work effort, against Wolves and against Villa. 'I can't accept if a player doesn't give everything. That is clear. I can accept it once, but twice was a bit too much. That's why I addressed it. 'If you miss a chance, you need to be fighting for the team. I'm not saying he didn't do that at all, but it wasn't the usual Darwin, the one that is loved by the fans. That is mainly because he always works so hard.' MORE: Rasmus Hojlund rejects interested club in blow to Man Utd's Benjamin Sesko pursuit MORE: £60m Chelsea target misses training and sends social media message over move MORE: The reason Man Utd and Newcastle target Benjamin Sesko is out of RB Leipzig friendly
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
England facing daunting chase as more dropped catches aid India's cause
England were facing another big chase to win their series deciding fifth Test against India, with a fine century from Yashasvi Jaiswal and some poor catching making life hard for the hosts. Jaiswal made a classy 118 as the tourists reached 304 for six on the third afternoon, a lead of 281 at tea. After 15 wickets fell on day two, a patched up England attack were unable to pose a consistent threat. With Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse all missing the Test and Chris Woakes unable to play his part due to a dislocated shoulder, the task seemed too steep for a seam trio of Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue and Jamie Overton boasting just 18 previous caps. Three more drops hurt their cause – Zak Crawley, Harry Brook and Ben Duckett taking the innings tally to six missed chances – but Jaiswal was the cornerstone of India's defiance. He was gamely assisted by nightwatcher Akash Deep in the first session, with the latter crashing his way to a career-best 66 to set the tone for a difficult day in the field. Deep, sent in on Friday evening to shield captain Shubman Gill, scored the majority share in a demoralising stand of 107 with the unflappable Jaiswal. The tourists were just 52 ahead and two down overnight but England were insipid in the opening session. Deep fully embraced what was a bonus innings for his side, slogging the third ball of the morning for four, heaving Atkinson across the line and angling Josh Tongue wide of the slips with soft hands. He should have come unstuck for 21 in the eighth over, narrowly surviving Tongue's lbw shout on umpire's call and then edging the next delivery to third slip. Just as it did on day two, England's catching was faulty with Crawley fumbling. That was as close as they came to parting the duo as they lost control in a dispiriting hour of play that saw India add 52 runs to the total. England produced a few false shots after drinks but to no avail, with at least three edges skimming into the same gap wide of third slip. Deep advanced to an unlikely fifty with three fours off the tiring Atkinson – showing off unexpected range with a square cut, an uppercut and a pull. Overton finally ended his fun with the lunch break moving into view, digging in a short ball that took the leading edge and popped to backward point. It was a handy delivery but, after 28 wicketless overs on a helpful pitch, the Surrey quick owed his side one. Gill survived an awkward spell before the break but fell to the first ball after lunch, lbw to Atkinson for 11 to conclude a prolific series with 754 runs at an average of 75.40. Karun Nair has fared considerably less well and his latest unconvincing stay ended with wafting Atkinson through to Jamie Smith for 17. At the other end Jaiswal was quietly getting on with job of a potentially match-defining hundred. He was put down on 20 and 40 earlier in his innings but there was a sense of calm as he progressed towards the first ton of a bowler-dominated match. He was given a third life on 110, Duckett fluffing a tricky one at leg slip, but finally ran out of luck when he flashed Tongue to Overton at deep third. England needed more quick successes to build on his departure but their overworked pace bowlers were creaking as Ravindra Jadeja (26no) and Dhruv Jurel (25no) extended the advantage.
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton appalled at his F1 qualifying display in Hungary: ‘I'm useless'
Lewis Hamilton was appalled at his own F1 qualifying performance in Hungary, describing his performance as 'useless.' The 40-year-old, who is yet to register a podium this season with Ferrari, could only qualify a disappointing 12th on the grid for Sunday's race. Meanwhile, Hamilton's teammate Charles Leclerc claimed a surprise pole position ahead of the McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris Hamilton said on the radio 'every time, every time' after he was knocked out in Q2, and did not mince his words in the media pen afterwards. 'It's just me every time – I'm useless, absolutely useless,' a downbeat Hamilton told Sky Sports F1. 'The team has no problem, we're on pole. They probably need to change driver.' Hamilton has endured a difficult start to his time in Scuderia red. The Briton has not finished a grand prix higher than fourth place, though he did win the sprint race in China in March. After the first 13 races, Hamilton is positioned sixth in the world championship, 157 points behind leader Piastri and 30 points off Leclerc. Last week in Spa, Hamilton was knocked out in Q1 twice - for the sprint race and the grand prix - as his issues on a Saturday continue. Meanwhile, Leclerc could not contain his shock at claiming top spot in qualifying. 'I don't understand anything in Formula 1!' he said. 'The whole qualifying was extremely difficult Q3, everything became a lot trickier, I just knew it had to be a clean lap. I definitely did not expect that. 'We are on pole position, I have no words, probably one of the best I've ever had, the most unexpected for sure.' Piastri will line up second on the grid ahead of Norris, with George Russell positioned in fourth. The race on Sunday starts at 2pm (BST).
