Liverpool have been told what they will have to pay to sign Alexander Isak this summer by ‘people close to the situation’ as his Newcastle teammates now expect him to leave the club.
Isak dropped the bombshell that he’s seeking pastures new on Thursday after the Magpies’ claim that he did not board the pre-season tour flight to Singapore because of a thigh injury was found to be nonsense.
The Sweden international is ‘giving his priority’ to Liverpool, who are said to be preparing a British record transfer offer, though the Reds face competition from the Saudi Pro League and Middle East outlet Al-Riyadhiah confirmed Al-Hilal’s interest on Friday.
The report also claimed Isak has ‘set a condition’ for Al-Hilal amid his preference to remain in Europe:
‘Newcastle United’s Swedish striker Alexander Isak has demanded an annual salary of more than €60 million (£60 million) from Al-Hilal officials to accept the Saudi offer, in addition to other benefits, during a meeting between the two parties.’
And now The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, who’s currently in Singapore covering Newcastle’s tour, has said he believes Isak will leave Newcastle for Liverpool this summer and “some of his teammates” also suspect that will be the case, though the Reds will need to come up with £150m.
“My information is that Liverpool are readying a British club record offer,” said the reporter. “Alexander Isak and his people know this, he’s at home on Tyneside nursing his thigh, but you guys read between the lines.”
“These are some of the conversations I’ve had this morning with people close to the situation,” Hope continues. “There is always a good time to sell a player and while the preference is to keep Alexander Isak, but Isak himself wants to move on, he doesn’t want to play in the UCL, he wants to win it.
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“If Liverpool are going to do a deal this summer, they’re going to have to pay the money. They really are. There’s no, just because Isak wants to go, cheap deal to be done here. They’ve got to come up with that British record and then some. It’s got to be in the region of £150m. If that happens, do I think we’d see a deal and Isak will move? Yes, I do. And I know that some of his teammates suspect that too.
“I’m not going to sit on the fence here and I’m happy to be wrong, but do I think he will go? Yes, I think he probably will. A lot still needs to happen for that to be the case, but my latest information is that: Alexander Isak wants to go, Liverpool want him, they are readying a British record offer, even though that may involve selling one of Diaz or Nunez. If that’s the case, Newcastle have a decision to make.
“They’d rather not sell and find a way to keep the player, but it might just make sense all round to do the deal. So, that’s where we are.”
