Alexander Isak is open to a move away from Newcastle, with Liverpool his preferred destination. The Sweden striker has not travelled with his teammates on a pre-season tour to Asia and is looking into his options.
Isak has long been interested in joining Liverpool but the possibility of it happening this summer is remote. The striker has a contract until 2028 and the Premier League champions would need to raise funds through sales to afford a player valued at about £120m.
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Liverpool signed another striker, Hugo Ekitiké, this week for £79m after concluding that Isak was out of reach. They may prioritise a centre-back over another forward. Newcastle had also been interested in Ekitiké but missed out after also failing to lure Liam Delap, who preferred to join Chelsea from Ipswich. Newcastle retain an interest in Yoane Wissa and have bid for the Brentford forward.
Isak missed a friendly at Celtic last Saturday and was left out of the 30-man squad that travelled to Asia because of what Newcastle described as a minor thigh injury. Eddie Howe’s side will play Arsenal in Singapore on Sunday and then face two fixtures in South Korea, against a K League XI and Tottenham.
Howe said after the Celtic game of Isak’s absence: “It was my decision. He travelled back to Glasgow with us but I decided to send him home due to the speculation around him. The last thing he wanted is to be sat in the stand watching, that wasn’t fair to him. But I’m confident he will be a Newcastle player come the end of the window.”
Newcastle have no desire to Isak as they prepare for a Champions League campaign. There has been an eagerness at the club to extend and improve Isak’s contract, after he scored 23 goals in 34 Premier League games to help the team finish fifth, but the 25-year-old has shown little enthusiasm for the idea.
