Newcastle receive 10-word Alexander Isak warning to leave Liverpool response non-negotiable
Newcastle United's owners have received a firm ten-word warning to stand firm and prevent Alexander Isak from departing St James' Park. The Magpies rebuffed an offer worth a reported £120million in total from Liverpool for the Swedish striker on Friday, with the bid not meeting Newcastle 's £150m valuation.
Isak, who netted 23 times in the Premier League last season, has missed his team's pre-season tour in Asia, instead training with his old club, Real Sociedad. It's widely anticipated that the Reds will soon table an enhanced offer for the 25-year-old.
Ex-Premier League striker and former Newcastle coach Dean Saunders has urged the club's owners to reject any further advances for Isak from Anfield. Saunders, who worked for the Magpies during Graeme Souness 's tenure, cautioned against selling Isak, saying: "It's just like punching all the supporters in the stomach."
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Wolves and Wrexham manager said: "Newcastle haven't really had a good transfer window...and losing Isaac is going to be a massive blow for them. How do you replace him?
"It's a dilemma because he signed a five-year contract at Newcastle and he's got three years left. Liverpool have come knocking, and he's said to Newcastle, 'Right, I want to go.' The owners are so rich that they could say to him, 'Well, no, you're not going. We don't care what the price is.'".
"Fans will be gutted because it's a great club, and they think that the club is going to climb to the top of the Premier League. And when you start selling your best players, it's just like punching all the supporters in the stomach."
Isak made his move to Newcastle in 2022 for a £63m fee from Real Sociedad, with the Spanish side set to receive ten per cent of any profit if he is sold this summer. Despite United's head coach Eddie Howe insisting throughout the summer that Isak is not on the market, Liverpool continue to show interest.
Howe previously told ChronicleLive: "He is still our player. He's contracted to us. We, to a degree, control what is next for him. I would love to believe all possibilities are still available to us. My wish is that he stays, but that's not in my full control.
Meanwhile, Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon said: "For Alex, I feel for him too. It's difficult. People forget you're a human-being in that scenario. He will be going through a lot. The club is going through a lot. I hope everyone gets what they want in the end."
Former Magpies forward Shola Ameobi has also weighed in on the Isak situation. Despite the ongoing uncertainty, he maintained that the owners still have grand ambitions.
The Nigerian, who is serving as a club ambassador during the pre-season tour, said: "At the end of the day, this is football and when you are trying to mix it with the best teams, you are going to have great players that other teams want.
"The thing for us is where we are at as a club, an ownership, we are really ambitious. We want to do our best for the club. They have shown that right from the get go, and that is not going to change.
"There are things happening in the background. We are really keen to communicate that the club are going to do what is best for the club.
He added: "Myself, being somebody who has lived this since I was a kid, it is great to see that ambition. Not only the manager and the staff, but all the ownership, the exec team, and the board, they are all on the same page and want us to win more trophies."
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