As the Magpies get ready for a tour before the season starts in Asia, where they will play against the K-League All-Stars and Tottenham, they might also have to start getting ready for what it will be like without their main attacker, Alexander Isak. The Swedish attacker, who is already not going on the preseason tour, which the team says is because of an injury, wants to leave the team, according to The Athletic.
Liverpool was a team that had shown interest in Isak’s skills before, but they were told that he was not available for sale. Could that change now?
With this apparent disagreement and him not currently agreeing to a new contract with the team, that interest could come back even though Liverpool just signed forward Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt. In the Premier League competition to be the best, nothing could help keep Liverpool at the top for years like adding an attacker to their team who has scored 20 or more Premier League goals in two seasons in a row.
Isak helped Newcastle United get back into Champions League play and win the EFL Cup while scoring 27 goals and setting up six more in all competitions last season, and that would be a huge addition to any team that he might join if he does leave the club. With Liverpool and Arsenal both adding top players to improve their attacks, it is harder to spend a lot on an attacker with Isak’s price, but that does not mean it could not happen as the Reds getting Ekitike does not mean Isak is no longer a target, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Bayern Munich had interest in Liverpool forward Luiz Diaz, and even though those offers were turned down, if the Bavarians come back with a new offer, it could help the Reds both find space in their crowded attack while also getting more money to be able to push Newcastle’s decision. The Magpies could also try better contract offers because losing someone like Isak at this point of preparing for the season will be a difficult problem to solve.
Here’s what you should know about his situation:
Current contract
Isak is under contract until 2027-28 as part of a six-year agreement, earning a reported $6.2 million each season.
A complicated move
What a difference a week can make. Before, it was reported that Newcastle was interested in getting Ekitike — who has a very similar style to Isak — but now he is at Liverpool. For Newcastle’s big plans of winning the league and more after being bought by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, losing their main attacker would be a big setback to those plans. They have made good moves, adding Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, but there is no real backup for the number nine position behind Isak.
William Osula is the only real attacker left on the team with Callum Wilson gone. At 21, Osula has skill, but he has only scored one Premier League goal in his career despite playing in 35 games. Even looking at his entire career between Sheffield United, Derby County, and Newcastle, Osula only has 10 goals and three assists in all professional competitions that he has been a part of.
Playing in the Champions League and also hoping to compete for a spot in the top four, it is clear that the Magpies would need an attacker in a big way if Isak does leave, and even if he stays, they still need an attacker to handle the games that they will have to play. Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig is someone who has already been connected to Newcastle with all of this, but that could be too much risk for their expectations in a short amount of time. Testing Bayer Leverkusen’s decision about Patrik Schick or talking to Atletico Madrid about Alexander Sorloth are ways to find a short-term solution, while also looking to add a younger attacker to develop behind them, along with Osula.
Doing all of this while trying to get the team ready for the preseason adds a challenge for Eddie Howe, but this is what it is like for clubs at the top. Chelsea was making moves all the way through winning the Club World Cup with Noni Madueke leaving for Arsenal, and if Newcastle wants to stay in a Champions League spot, being able to deal with losing one of their best players and moving forward will be the first true test of the new management. Manchester City does this all the time, and they have rarely missed a beat. This is a move that could change the future of the Premier League in the creation of a strong Liverpool team.
Liverpool could become the favorites to win the league
Getting Isak would push the Reds to the top in the Premier League. They have already added Florian Wirtz and Ekitike to their attack, and adding Isak as well would be a big boost to their attacking depth. It has been a difficult offseason for the Reds as just days after signing Wirtz, forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car accident in Spain. This has created an unexpected need for more attackers while also looking to improve on Darwin Nunez at the number nine position.
Even if Diaz leaves, Liverpool’s attack would be in a good position with Ekitike, Harvey Elliott, Mohamed Salah, and Isak, but it is the midfield that would set them apart from the rest of the league. Already with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szobozlai, the midfield was in good shape before Wirtz arrived, and also adding Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones to the mix, Arne Slot will have many options to choose from.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure created a gap in chance creation for Liverpool, but they are able to move that further up the field with Wirtz’s arrival to make sure that they do not miss a beat. It also allows a change further into Slot’s style as their change away from Jurgen Klopp’s exciting football continues. Slot uses a system based on accuracy and movements being repeatable, and as he gets more tools to continue building that, there is no limit to what Liverpool can achieve.
