1 day ago
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Alexander Isak has vacated his home in the North East as he tries to force his Newcastle United exit amid interest from Arne Slot's Liverpool.
The Swedish sensation has made it abundantly clear that he has no intention of playing for the Magpies again, but the striker is locked in a stalemate with the club, which is reluctant to part ways with its prized asset. Newcastle turned down a bid in the region of $150 million from Liverpool, and the Reds are yet to return with a second offer.
The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the Premier League's elite players over three seasons at St. James' Park, scoring 23 and 21 goals respectively in the past two campaigns. Although he has yet to comment publicly on the situation, Isak clearly has his heart set on bigger and better things.
Isak took the drastic measure of not participating in the preseason tour of Asia under head coach Eddie Howe, instead working at the base of his former club Real Sociedad in northern Spain.
The Swede would later return to the UK, but he was barred from attending Newcastle's players and family day last week. He was the only member of the squad not allowed to attend.
His desire to leave is so strong that he has moved out of the $10,000-per-month rental property in Ponteland that he has occupied since joining the Magpies from La Real in 2022.
According to The Times, the house was briefly listed on the rental market last month; however, Isak would return to the North East, and the listing was removed.
But the property is back on the market once again as Isak makes his vision for his future abundantly clear. The Athletic's David Ornstein reported on Tuesday that the striker is "adamant" he will never play for Newcastle again.
Yet it remains unclear if Liverpool will return with a second bid for the striker. Newcastle values Isak at more than $200 million, although his conduct in recent weeks has undoubtedly weakened the Magpies' bargaining power.
But the cost of doing a deal could be prohibitive for Liverpool, considering the significant investment in the squad made already this summer, with Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz among a host of big-money additions.
The Reds have sold well, though, with Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez departing for big transfer fees, potentially freeing up cash for further additions as Slot vies to strengthen a squad that romped to the Premier League title last season.
A prospective deal for Isak would smash the British transfer record - the $157 million Liverpool paid Bayer Leverkusen for Wirtz earlier this summer - but with talismanic forward Mohamed Salah entering the final chapters of his Anfield career, the Swede's availability this window presents a tantalizing opportunity.
An apparent lack of alternative suitors also works in Liverpool's favor. Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea have already upgraded the striker position this summer, while Manchester City already has Erling Haaland in situ. Elsewhere in Europe, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich already appear to have their No. 9 spots filled with elite players.
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