Insider confirms SECOND Alexander Isak offer is close

Yahoo

2 days ago

Liverpool's pursuit of Alexander Isak hit a crucial juncture on Friday. The Reds' sporting director - Richard Hughes - sent a first formal offer across the desk of Eddie Howe - the Newcastle manager.
It's been reported by various sources that the opening bid fell WELL short of Newcastle's valuation of their striking sensation.
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With the Geordies putting a £150m price tag on Isak's head, Liverpool's bid is reported to have come out at somewhere between £110m and £120m.
That was insufficient to turn Newcastle's heads - but in many ways this transfer already seems inevitable.
The 25-year-old wants the move and has been training alone at Real Sociedad's facilities while he waits on the outcome of talks between the two Premier League sides.
Isak is ANGRY at Newcastle
Newcastle insider Keith Downie has provided an update on his YouTube channel - outlining a grim mood around St. James' Park as a result of Liverpool's efforts to sign the Swede.
'We know Alexander Isak is agitating to leave,' he said. 'We know he's unsettled. We know his head has been turned.
"We know the reason he's training out in the Basque region by himself is not because of injury—it's because he's annoyed, frustrated, upset that he feels Newcastle have reneged on a promise to give him more money or to allow him to leave. And the situation is becoming very, very ugly at the moment.'
Although it's been suggested that Liverpool will NOT be back for Isak unless something dramatic happens, Downie believes it's only a matter of time before the Reds strike again.
The odds are in Liverpool's favour
The reporter also states that the odds remain in Liverpool's favour - with Isak and the Reds both aligned on their desired outcome.
One complicating factor is Newcastle's as yet failed pursuit of a new striker of their own. Benjamin Sesko is the favourite to arrive but they will have to hold off Manchester United's interest to get a deal over the line.
'I still think it's probably 60/40—60 that he goes, 40 that he stays,' Downie admits. 'I still think there's a chance he stays, and it's purely for the fact that Newcastle can't get a decent top-level replacement lined up. They haven't yet.'
And so two conditions must be met before Isak comes on board as Liverpool's new centre-forward.
Insider EXPECTS Liverpool offer soon
For one - Hughes has got to get much closer to the £150m that Newcastle desire for the Sweden international. A deal COULD be possible at £135m give or take.
And the Anfield club better hope that the Magpies are able to attract a high-quality replacement before the season kicks off.
'I'm fully expecting Liverpool to come back in with a second offer,' Downie says.
'I'm told they're preparing a second offer. But Newcastle, for two reasons—unless it meets the valuation or comes close to it, and unless they've got a replacement lined up—they're not going to do business.
'They need some resolution on this quickly. Whether that's next week or the next ten days, I think we'll know one way or another come the opening day of the season—two weeks tomorrow—what the outcome is.'
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