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The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Dan Burn responds to Alexander Isak speculation after Newcastle forward eyes transfer
Newcastle United defender Dan Burn gave his thoughts on the transfer speculation concerning teammate Alexander Isak as the 25-year-old striker faces a potential exit during the summer transfer window. Isak has been the subject of ongoing rumours with his future at the Premier League club in doubt following reports that he wants to 'explore his options' during the summer. The North East side are adamant that they want to retain his services heading into the new season but may be tempted by a big money offer with Premier League champions Liverpool having already made informal inquiries as to whether a deal can be done. Newcastle's players are currently on a pre-season tour of Asia, and will face Arsenal on Sunday, but Isak has been left out of the squad due to a 'minor thigh issue'. Speaking to Sky Sports, Burn revealed that losing 'any player' in this transfer window would upset the team and hopes Isak will remain at the club. 'I think if we lost any player it would upset us,' he said. 'We're a tight knit group that's been together for two, three years now so, yeah, any player that leaves it doesn't help. 'But, from out point of view we'll control what we can control. At the moment we're looking forward to getting Alex [Isak] back when he's fit.' According to Magpies boss Eddie Howe, Isak was also left out of last week's friendly defeat to Celtic due to 'speculation' around his future with the manager wanting to remove him from any potential scrutiny. Throughout this whole saga, Newcastle have been clear that they value Isak at £150m though should an big offer in the same region be placed on the table their resolve may be tested, especially with the knowledge that the player wants to consider his options. At that price point only a handful of teams across Europe would be able to afford the fee for Isak with Newcastle also holding a strong negotiating hand as the forward still has three years remaining on his current contract. Howe has also addressed Isak's situation and confirmed that he wants the striker to remain at the club. He said: "We have a few of those players who are irreplaceable. 'Your top players are so hard to find, so hard to recruit and so hard to develop. So when you have them, you need to treasure them. Of course we're desperate to keep him [Isak] as part of our team.'
Scotsman
26 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Craig Levein shares Hearts transfer question Derek McInnes will get answer to at weekend
Hearts have been busy in the market but it's been claimed a transfer truth will be delivered this weekend Sign up to our Hearts newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Derek McInnes will find out this weekend how many more players his Hearts team needs - as one pundit backs the Sunderland friendly clash a not so passive affair. The Jambos have made a number of summer signings already ahead of the Premiership season, with the likes of Claudio Braga making instant Tynecastle impressions. They now face a friendly before the opener against Aberdeen, taking on Premier League bound Sunderland at Tynecastle for Craig Gordon's testimonial Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Former Hearts boss Craig Levein was on Sportsound duties for the midweek rout over Dumbarton that secured passage to the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup, alongside ex St Johnstone and Queen's Park gaffer Callum Davidson. Levein believes the game will give head coach Derek McInnes a good gauge as to what's left to do in the transfer market, as the game will be a highly competitive one. Why Hearts vs Sunderland won't be so friendly Levein said: 'Don't kid yourself it's not going to be competitive, because one week before the start of the season, the last preparation match, this will be competitive. You can bet your life on that, because they need it to be, they need it to be ready. They really need to get an up-tempo match with a lot of physicality and a lot of running, a lot of defending before the real season starts, and I think this game's perfect for them, but trust me, this won't be a friendly. 'He'll (McInnes) need to find out, if he needs to do any more business in this window, if that's possible. I think the goalkeeping situation is a really interesting one, but I don't know exactly what the situation is with Craig's problem, but I think Zander would probably be his first choice after that and Ryan Fulton got a game on Wednesday, but I don't think he's in the running for the starting position in my eyes. So we'll see, we'll see what happens.' 'You'll see some players that we quite enjoyed watching on the ball, how do they work without it, because against Dumbarton we didn't really see it, he's probably not seen enough of it in the four games he's had, and the Sunderland game will give him that, that sort of, get his eyes on those players and what they can do, can and can't do.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Callum Davidson verdict on Hearts transfer business Davidson said it was Braga when it comes to the summer signings who really left an impression on him after watching the Dumbarton rout. He added: 'I was really impressed with Braga, I thought his movement was terrific, he was never standing still, he wanted to come behind, he wanted to come short, he wanted to get in the box, he was trying to play the right passes, obviously tried to link with James Wilson when he played Wilson at the front. I think, for me, it's quite exciting times, they all look quite similar in how they played, they all like to have a wee jink and go past people. 'So it's obviously something they've looked at and the stats say this is what they're looking for, so I think overall, Derek will be really pleased with the group stages and how they got there. The only worry was Frankie Kent obviously came off an injury, just right at the end of the game and Findlay had to come on but again, the attacking side was good. 'Be interesting to see how they play against stronger opposition, the game on Saturday against Sunderland and going into the Premier League fixtures when it's not going to be just all attacking football. They're going to have to defend, they're going to have to track back, they're going to have to track runners, they're going to have to stand in the right position. They're going to have to understand that, they can't just stand up and attack and how do they press, so all these things will come and Derek knows that. He will be happy with how they played against a real resolute Dumbarton team, how they took the goals off them.'
The Guardian
27 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Football transfer rumours: Sesko or Aghehowa to replace Isak at Newcastle?
If anyone spots Eddie Howe appearing to be rehearsing lines on the steps of St James' Park over the next few days, there's an obvious explanation. It was from said vantage point 30 years ago that another Newcastle boss, Kevin Keegan, had to explain to angry and bewildered fans why they had sold Andy Cole to Manchester United. The modern-day version, of course, is Howe having to talk his way out of why the club could be letting Alexander Isak go to Liverpool. To be honest, it doesn't seem a very Howe thing to do, although rumours suggest the current Magpies manager wouldn't be averse. And, if Howe knows his history, he might benefit, just as Liverpool once did, from the Coutinho Effect – flogging a player at peak value and rebuilding key parts of the squad with the hefty proceeds. Isak going to Liverpool (anything from £125m to £150m appear to be the latest quotes) would spark a different sort of effect, one involving dominoes. So if the Swedish striker topples towards Anfield, what other currently static deals might fall into place as the chain reaction spreads? Let's start with Newcastle. If Isak does move on, several sources are suggesting Leipzig's 22-year-old forward Benjamin Sesko is top of Howe's wishlist. He'd cost £70m and upwards. The Slovenian's Leipzig teammate Loïs Openda has also been linked while it seems pretty obvious that Brentford will want way more than the £25m that Newcastle are believed to have offered for frontman Yoane Wissa. The Congolese international is 28 so another, more youthful, option for Howe could be prolific Porto striker Samu Aghehowa (Howe and Aghehowa has nice symmetry; the equivalent of Pep Guardiola signing Josko Gvardiol, maybe). Aghehowa is just 21 although he has a reported release clause of €100m (£87m). Liverpool's financial house seems to be in excellent order so it appears there's no desperate sell-to-buy necessity when it comes to Isak. That said, the astute bean counters at Anfield know that funds could be raised. A chunk could come from Harvey Elliott, who is reported to be on West Ham's radar. He struggled to get minutes under Arne Slot last season although Elliott has stressed he would love to develop his career at Liverpool. The last reported rumour of Darwin Núñez leaving was in mid-July after Napoli apparently said no, but the Luis Díaz speculation won't go away and Bayern Munich's £70m bid for the Colombian could get the green light if Isak is brought in. Arsenal rumours now and maybe turn away if you're a Newcastle fan already resigned to losing Isak. The Gunners want an elite left-sided attacker and Newcastle wideman Anthony Gordon is on a select list of three. Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and Real Madrid's Rodrygo (another supposed Liverpool target) are the others. Gordon would cost around £80m. Aston Villa seem keen to rebuff Manchester United's approach for striker Ollie Watkins but want to take Alejandro Garnacho away from Old Trafford. United want to sell but only at the right price. They also want rid of Antony, a flop at United but a hit at Real Betis. The Spaniards can't afford turning their loan deal into a permanent one so several teams in Europe are keeping a close eye on the Brazlian winger. The very latest? Two Saudi Arabian Premier League sides are ready to swoop. Chelsea have dominated transfer land in recent times but there's not too much happening down at the Bridge right now. João Pedro and Liam Delap have beefed up the attack and there's no great desire to sell Nicolas Jackson: Manchester United are sniffing. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion But the Blues, despite being stacked in that department, can't help themselves when it comes to a creative No 10 type. Leipzig attacker Xavi Simons is the main target while they still have eyes for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers.
