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Newcastle United's ownership has been issued a blunt warning to remain resolute and block Alexander Isak's departure from St James' Park.
The Magpies turned down a £120 million ($147M) package from Liverpool for the Swedish forward on Friday, with the proposal falling short of Newcastle's £150million ($194M) asking price.
Isak, who found the net 23 times in the Premier League last campaign, has been absent from his side's pre-season tour of Asia, opting instead to train with former club Real Sociedad. It's widely expected that the Reds will submit an improved bid for the 25-year-old.
Former Premier League forward and ex-Newcastle coach Dean Saunders has implored the club's ownership to dismiss any subsequent approaches for Isak from Anfield.
Saunders, who served under the Magpies during Graeme Souness's reign, warned against parting with Isak, declaring: "It's just like punching all the supporters in the stomach."
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Wolves and Wrexham boss added, "Newcastle haven't really had a good transfer window...and losing Isaac is going to be a massive blow for them. How do you replace him?
"It's a dilemma because he signed a five-year contract at Newcastle and he's got three years left. Liverpool has come knocking, and he's said to Newcastle, 'Right, I want to go.' The owners are so rich that they could say to him, 'Well, no, you're not going. We don't care what the price is.'
"Fans will be gutted because it's a great club, and they think that the club is going to climb to the top of the Premier League. And when you start selling your best players, it's just like punching all the supporters in the stomach."
Isak transferred to Newcastle in 2022 for a £63M ($83.7M) fee from Real Sociedad, with the Spanish side set to receive 10 percent of any profit if he is sold this summer. Despite United's head coach Eddie Howe insisting throughout the summer that Isak is not on the market, Liverpool continue to show interest.
Howe previously told ChronicleLive: "He is still our player. He's contracted to us. We, to a degree, control what is next for him. I would love to believe all possibilities are still available to us. My wish is that he stays, but that's not in my full control."
Meanwhile, Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon said: "For Alex, I feel for him too. It's difficult. People forget you're a human-being in that scenario. He will be going through a lot. The club is going through a lot. I hope everyone gets what they want in the end."
Former Magpies forward Shola Ameobi has also weighed in on the Isak situation. Despite the ongoing uncertainty, he maintained that the owners still have grand ambitions.
The Nigerian, who is serving as a club ambassador during the pre-season tour, said: "At the end of the day, this is football and when you are trying to mix it with the best teams, you are going to have great players that other teams want.
"The thing for us is where we are at as a club, an ownership, we are really ambitious. We want to do our best for the club. They have shown that right from the get go, and that is not going to change.
"There are things happening in the background. We are really keen to communicate that the club are going to do what is best for the club.
"Myself, being somebody who has lived this since I was a kid, it is great to see that ambition. Not only the manager and the staff, but all the ownership, the exec team, and the board, they are all on the same page and want us to win more trophies."
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