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Alexander Isak and Newcastle United are at a bitter impasse, with the star striker angling for an exit.
However, the Swede's career trajectory could have been different had he left his former club Real Sociedad for another Premier League giant three years ago. The 25-year-old made his intentions clear last month when he expressed his desire to leave the Magpies.
Despite Liverpool having a bid in the region of $150 million turned down for him, neither side has shown any signs of backing down. Eddie Howe's team remains firm in their stance that he is not for sale and will wear a Newcastle shirt this season, while the player is reportedly refusing to play for the club again.
Since his arrival in 2022, Isak has taken the Premier League by storm, improving on his debut league goal tally of 10 with 21 two seasons ago and 23 last time out. It's no surprise that a club like the reigning champion has caught his eye, but he has had admirers in England since his days in Spain.
Mirror Football has taken a look below.
Manchester City's preference for Erling Haaland
After catching Borussia Dortmund's attention while playing in his native Sweden, Isak signed for the German side but moved to Spain in 2019 after struggling for game time. With Sociedad, he became one of La Liga's most respected strikers, attracting interest from many top clubs.
One of those interested was Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
Reflecting in 2024, years after Isak's move to Newcastle, Guardiola confessed: "At Real Sociedad, we started to follow him, we were impressed. He was a target. With his skills, all the clubs around the world take a look. I think he adapted really, really well in the Premier League."
Why didn't City chase Isak more aggressively? The answer is Erling Haaland. The Athletic reported in the summer of 2022 that the Norwegian was Guardiola's top priority, ahead of Isak, and Haaland's arrival even convinced him to sign a new contract with the club.
Guardiola got his wish when Haaland's £51M ($69M) Dortmund release clause was triggered that July, and he has since become a two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner, netting 85 league goals since 2022, compared to Isak's 54, who landed in England a few months later.
Manchester United's 'tempting' Alexander Isak offer
City weren't the only Manchester club admiring Isak, as rivals Manchester United reportedly made a 'juicy offer' to the Swede that summer.
Mundo Deportivo reported that before Isak finalized his £63M ($85.5M) switch to Newcastle, the Red Devils, then under the leadership of Erik ten Hag, had been in contact with his representatives, who persuaded the striker to reject their proposal.
Sociedad never received a bid from United for Isak, and having missed out on his signature, Ten Hag kicked off his first season at the helm with Cristiano Ronaldo spearheading the attack, although that notoriously only lasted until November.
Arsenal's 'overpriced' release clause regret
Arsenal were among the clubs that had Isak on their radar before he signed for Newcastle United, and they perhaps came the closest to securing his signature with an informal offer.
The Gunners were looking to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front and saw Isak as the perfect replacement. However, when they approached him in January 2022, they found some discrepancies regarding the Swede's price tag.
Mikel Arteta's side put forward an informal £56M ($76M) offer, which was significantly lower than Real Sociedad's valuation, as they were sticking to Isak's £74.7M ($101.3M) release clause. The Athletic reported that this fee was simply too high for Arsenal, who considered him 'overpriced,' and Isak ended up at St. James' Park the following summer while still being monitored by the Gunners.
A fee of £75m ($102M) would now be seen as a bargain for Isak, who, after Liverpool's £120M ($150M) bid was turned down, is thought to be valued at a potential British record transfer sum of £150M ($203.5M) by Newcastle.
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