3 hours ago
34
Liverpool has played the Alexander Isak situation about right. It would have been wrong not to ask the question of Newcastle — but having received a firm answer, it has not wasted its summer on a very remote possibility.
There is little doubt that Isak is the best around in the number nine role at present. It's an area where the Reds need to strengthen, and the budget is there, so Richard Hughes had to make inquiries; however, if Newcastle is bluffing with its not-for-sale stance, then it is a fully committed bluff.
Rather than trying to call it, Liverpool looks to have pivoted to Hugo Ekitike. Club-to-club negotiations are ongoing, but a deal with the player himself is already in place.
In truth, this always looked like the most likely outcome, even if everyone got caught up in Isak fever when the story first broke. The average supporter might not yet recognize Newcastle as among the elite, but it is ultimately now a Champions League club with effectively unlimited financial backing.
Why would it sell its best player? The main plausible answer is FFP/PSR pressures, but the return to Europe's top table effectively extinguished any of those worries.
Of course, Newcastle could have banished all risk of those fears for years to come with a bumper Isak sale, but it would also have had to sacrifice its near-term sporting ambitions. The motivation to sell is simply not there.
Perhaps severe pressure from Isak himself might have altered the equation, but the return to the Champions League will have helped on that front as well. And even if he had decided to agitate for a move, Newcastle would still have held all the cards, with three years to run on his contract.
Time will tell whether Newcastle's decision is the right one, given that keeping Isak has ended its hopes of signing Ekitike. Liverpool swiftly switched its attention to the Magpies' number one target; in the future, the Reds may end up thinking they got the better deal.
But for now, selling Isak goes against all of the ambitions of the Saudi-backed project at St James' Park. So with Liverpool moving on, the Swede is bound to stay put: right?
Well, probably. But after Liverpool tested the waters, another suitor is now emerging.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal holds a genuine interest in Isak. The fact that both sides are owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) is not expected to pose any issues.
From an optics perspective, the shared ownership might even make this one of the few destinations for Isak that may be palatable to the Newcastle hierarchy. It would shuttle the striker away from anywhere he would be capable of hurting his old side, while the Saudi project as a whole would not lose any prestige.
These are the murky waters you end up getting into with multi-club models and state ownership. It would certainly not be popular with Newcastle supporters.
And in truth, it does still seem unlikely. The safest money is on Isak remaining at St James' Park for another season.
But even with Liverpool shifting to Ekitike, there are still some nervy weeks ahead for Newcastle fans. For now, Isak's future is not entirely resolved.
English (US) ·