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Alexander Isak has made it clear that he wants to leave Newcastle United, with Liverpool having already seen one bid rejected for the Sweden striker this summer. But what comes next?
Newcastle has insisted all summer that it would not be letting Isak leave. On Tuesday, it said that it would have been possible had it signed replacements and its asking price was met, but felt that was unlikely at this stage.
As a result, it was effectively telling Isak, who is currently training alone rather than with his teammates, that he was expected to reintegrate. So far, that has not happened. Liverpool faces Newcastle on Monday.
While Isak has spelt out that he wants to leave publicly, that doesn't constitute an official, written transfer request. Formally doing so can lead to significant financial penalties for a player.
A written transfer request would constitute a breach of a player's contract, meaning they might miss out on certain contractual rewards. Those might include signing-on fees and loyalty bonuses.
And even if Isak did go down that route, there is no guarantee that Newcastle would change its stance. It has known for some time that Isak wanted to leave.
"I'm proud to be recognised by my fellow professionals with a place in the PFA Premier League Team of the Season for 2024/25," Isak wrote in a statement posted on his Instagram story.
"First and foremost, I want to thank my teammates and everyone at Newcastle United who has supported me along the way. I'm not at the ceremony tonight. With everything going on, it didn't feel right to be there.
"I've kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken. That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn't reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors.
"The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time. To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading.
"When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. That's where things are for me right now — and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself."
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Isak was branded "greedy" by Newcastle fans at the weekend. It is thought that he believed a new contract would be coming his way a few months ago, but it never arrived.
"We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer," a club statement from the Magpies read in response.
"We want to keep our best players, but we also understand players have their own wishes and we listen to their views.
"As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions, and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired.
"We do not foresee those conditions being met. This is a proud football club with proud traditions and we strive to retain our family feel. Alex remains part of our family and will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his teammates."
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