Newcastle owners admit DEFEAT over Liverpool's Alexander Isak deal
Granted, the club managed to land Anthony Elanga - improving their wing options - but they have come up short in the window elsewhere.
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They have been unable to add to their strikers - first losing out to Chelsea for Joao Pedro and then seeing Liverpool swoop for a priority target.
Hugo Ekitike, 23, was the subject of an approach from the Geordies earlier this week but Eintracht Frankfurt were unconvinced.
Liverpool move into position for Isak
Liverpool needed no further encouragement - swooping decisively for an initial £69m deal.
And now they face ANOTHER threat from the Reds - this time for Alexander Isak. The 25-year-old has made it quite clear he now wishes to leave St. James' Park - declining the Magpies' attempts to tie him down to a new deal.
Liverpool are poised to strike; having broken the British transfer record once this summer for Florian Wirtz, Richard Hughes is ready to do it all over again.
It would take £130m for Liverpool to land Isak - not to mention the £300k per week that the player would demand.
But with his mind seemingly made up, Newcastle can either face the prospect of selling the Sweden international or hanging on forlornly to a very unhappy player.
There is an alternative emerging for the North East club however - and one which demonstrates just how far they are prepared to go to keep Isak out of Liverpool's clutches.
PIF want to buy Isak for Al-Hilal
PIF-owned Newcastle have got several sister clubs in the Saudi Pro League - including Al-Hilal. Now it's being reported in TBR Football that PIF - the Saudi wealth fund - are trying to convince Isak to move to Al-Hilal instead of Liverpool.
'PIF want Alexander Isak to consider a move to the Saudi Pro League this summer,' the report reads. 'Al Hilal and PIF are prepared to pay £150 million to bring Alexander Isak to the Middle East this summer.'
© IMAGO - Alexander Isak Liverpool
The writing is on the wall for Newcastle
Isak is unlikely to be swayed by the attempts to lure him to the Middle East. He is one of the world's foremost striking talents and DESERVES to be playing at the very highest level.
Liverpool can guarantee that.
The player has NOT travelled to Asia as part of Newcastle's preseason tour - where they play Arsenal, a K-League XI and Spurs. Instead he is nursing what is officially being described as a minor thigh injury while his future is being sorted out.
Try as they like, Newcastle might have designs on keeping Isak or else limiting the damage of his departure by selling out of the Premier League.
But player power is key. All Liverpool are waiting for is a sign that Isak wants to come to Anfield. Then it will be time to break Newcastle's hearts all over again.
**👉 **Liverpool set to increase transfer budget by £200m 🔗
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