Alexander Isak is due back in Newcastle on Saturday following his personal training camp in Spain – a day after a bid from Liverpool of over £100m was rejected by the Magpies.
The striker has been training at Real Sociedad’s training headquarters on his own, after refusing to travel with Newcastle on their pre-season tour of Asia. Isak reported a thigh injury and travelled to San Sebastián to recover with his own staff.
Sky Sports News understands Liverpool’s opening offer for Isak was £110m plus add-ons. However, the total offer did not reach £120m.
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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe spoke about the situation surrounding striker Alexander Isak at the club’s pre-season tour of Asia, saying he doesn’t know what will happen now that Liverpool have made a bid for the striker.
Newcastle do not want to sell, and value Isak at £150m. On Saturday morning, Newcastle made a £70m offer to RB Leipzig for Benjamin Sesko as they attempt to line up a replacement for Isak, should he leave.
The rest of the Magpies squad are due back from their pre-season tour of Asia on Monday.
Howe unsure on Isak future
Head coach Eddie Howe confirmed the club have turned down a bid from Liverpool for Isak, but is unsure on what will happen next.
“I am very much removed from anything that’s happening back home,” Howe said in a press conference ahead of Newcastle’s match against Tottenham Hotspur in South Korea on Sunday.
“I was made aware that there was a bid [on Friday] – that bid was turned down all before I even heard about it. There’s people back in England dealing with the situation.
“I really don’t know what’s going to happen next, but from our perspective we still support Alex in every way, and my wish is still that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again.”
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Sky Sports’ Keith Downie explains why Newcastle have rejected Liverpool’s bid for Isak
Howe revealed that he only found out about Isak training in Spain through the media and not from the player himself.
“I know where he is now – through the media,” said Howe. “So I think from that perspective, it is difficult to go into any type of detail.”
The 25-year-old has informed Newcastle that he wants to explore his options in this transfer window after Liverpool previously made an informal approach for him.
Liverpool play at Newcastle in the Premier League – live on Sky Sports – on August 25 on Monday Night Football.
Analysis: Why Isak is in demand
Sky Sports Data Editor Adam Smith:
Alexander Isak scored 23 goals in the Premier League last season – second only to Mohamed Salah.
The Sweden international also outperformed his expected goals (20.42), underlining his elite-level finishing and composure in front of goal.
Alexander Isak’s Premier League stats and ranks last season
The 25-year-old consistently finds space around the penalty spot, where he converts a high proportion of his shots. But he’s far more than a poacher: six of his 36 efforts from outside the box found the net – demonstrating his range and technique.
Alexander Isak creates scoring opportunities from close range
The chart below benchmarks Isak’s per-90 stats against other strikers in Europe’s top five leagues. He excels across a wide spectrum – from goalscoring and dribbling, to opposition-box entries and link-up play.
Newcastle make bid for Sesko – what will that mean for Isak?
Newcastle have made a formal bid to RB Leipzig for Benjamin Sesko.
Sky Sports News understands the offer is €75m (£65.5m) plus €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons – which matches Leipzig’s valuation.
Newcastle have presented their vision to the Slovenian striker and want the deal to happen.
Newcastle have bid for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko
Sesko is considering his options with Manchester United also at the table. The player is open to both projects and remains a top target for Manchester United.
It was thought Man Utd would have to make sales in order to bring in a striker.Whilst the priority is to offload players, it’s understood Man Utd can buy before selling – provided there are sales before the window closes.
It’s understood RB Leipzig are interested in Man Utd striker Rasmus Hojlund and have explored the conditions of a loan.
Howe: Newcastle only looking for the best
Howe added that Newcastle are only “looking for the best” in terms of transfer targets amid a challenging window for the club.
Not only have the Magpies been hit with Isak’s desire to leave, but they have also missed out on a number of transfer targets to rivals, including Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Ekitike and James Trafford.
Newcastle have also hit a roadblock in their pursuit of Brentford forward Yoane Wissa. With Callum Wilson departing earlier this summer, it leaves just Will Osula as their only recognised first-team striker on their pre-season tour of Asia.
“We’re looking for the best players that we can get,” said Howe. “Whatever our target position is, we’re looking for the best so I see all situations open and available to us.
“I feel that’s the only way that we’re going to get to where we want to go, which is to maximise, and it’s quality over quantity. It always has been. That’s always been the way that we try to work and the way that we try to recruit, and I think we’ve done it pretty well to this point.
“It’s been a challenging summer, because we’ve missed out on various targets for loads of different reasons, but we’re still very competitive, and we’re still in there trying to bring very good players to the club – and that won’t change til the window shuts.”
Sky Sports to show 215 live Premier League games from next season
Sky Sports to show 215 live Premier League games from next season
From next season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.
