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Liverpool has already seen one offer knocked back for Alexander Isak this summer - but it was always likely that a replacement would need to be found before Newcastle United would let its main man leave.
Even then, there is no guarantee that the North East side will relent, but it makes sense that Newcastle would want to have something sorted before Isak goes. As more updates are awaited, however, things have not been going well for the Magpies in the market up to now.
Newcastle tabled an offer for Benjamin Sesko, the former RB Leipzig forward, but the Slovenian was unveiled as a new Manchester United player on Saturday. It has also missed out on others, including Joao Pedro, Hugo Ekitike, and Bryan Mbuemo.
Now, the Magpies been quoted as much as $108 million for the FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa this summer, according to the Daily Mail's Craig Hope. That would be too much for Eddie Howe's side, but Brentford's Yoane Wissa is a more attainable target.
Newcastle would free up money, of course, if it decided to cash in on Alexander Isak. So far, its stance has not softened, though Howe did admit this weekend that things are not entirely in his control.
"I don’t think it’s that straightforward, otherwise we’d have done that a long time ago," he said when asked if Newcastle had already told Isak that he simply wouldn't be allowed to leave. "I don’t think we're in a position to do that currently."
Isak does still have three years left on his contract at St James' Park, but Newcastle would need to convince the player of its trajectory for him to stay. Moving to Liverpool would position him much closer to winning major silverware.
"The biggest thing they have to do is, somehow, sort the Isak situation out," Newcastle legend Alan Shearer told Betfair this week. "And if they can't get anyone in, I guess that means he isn't going anywhere.
"Eddie will have to be at his persuasive best to try and turn Isak's head around because it has been turned in terms of him wanting to go to Liverpool.
"On the proviso that he does want to go and Eddie can't turn his head, then you get the money. But prior to that, you have to get people in to replace him.
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"Why can't Newcastle get business done? I don't know whether it's to do with the fact they don't have a chief executive or sporting director. They've known for months now that the chief executive was leaving so I'm pretty surprised that one hasn't been announced as yet.
"The sporting director has been gone a couple of months now and they've known that so it's a big surprise that those spaces haven't been filled. Whether that has anything to do with Newcastle's lack of business and the number of players that have said no to them, I don't know. It's not a good look."
Liverpool.com says: Isak going is still possible, but Newcastle would need to get someone in to replace him. That is fair enough, and for now at least, the St James' Park side holds the cards to a certain extent (even if keeping Isak against its will would bring its own risks).
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