Liverpool won't make second Isak bid after Newcastle rejection
Liverpool have no imminent plans to make a second bid for Alexander Isak after having their £110m ($225m AUD) bid rejected, talkSPORT understands.
The Reds made the huge offer for the Swedish striker on Friday morning, but it was turned down by Newcastle.
And the nature of that rebuttal has meant the Reds have decided not to follow up with a second approach this transfer window.
It is understood the club don't want to get dragged into a cycle of rejected bids.
Liverpool now regard another bid as futile unless Newcastle change their stance and contact them.
Personal terms over any potential deal are not expected to be an issue, as Isak wants the move to Anfield.
Liverpool are believed to have declined to make an upgraded offer for Alexander Isak after their first was rejected by Newcastle. Picture:The Magpies want to keep their star forward, or at least source a replacement before possibly agreeing to sell him.
They have been pushing to bring in Benjamin Sesko, while Yoane Wissa is boycotting Brentford training as he eyes a transfer.
Liverpool backed up their extreme interest with a monster bid for Isak, who is training away from his teammates too.
The 25-year-old hasn't travelled on the Magpies' pre-season tour as he explores a potential move away from the club.
He is currently training at his former club Real Sociedad in Spain and Newcastle are understood to be aware of the situation.
Alexander Isak is currently training solo at Real Sociedad in Spain. Picture:Liverpool's opening offer came a week after Isak had admitted he wants to explore his options this summer.
But unless Isak's side now start negotiations with the Reds again, it seems they won't be coming back in with a second bid.
Making feelings known Liverpool's opening bid came after Newcastle fans made their feelings clear on Isak's situation.
A banner was pictured hanging outside the club's training ground, reading: 'Isak is a pure rat.' Of course, this act won't reflect the entirety of the Toon fanbase, however, it shows that his reputation is now damaged to some.
There is little sympathy from a part of the fanbase, but one person who does feel for him is teammate Anthony Gordon.
Gordon had held talks with Liverpool over a potential move last summer, and it appeared to be close to completion.
However, nothing ended up materialising and he went on to sign a new Newcastle contract in October.
The England international has now opened up about that move and related it to what Isak is now going through.
Gordon said in an interview with the Daily Mail: 'With PSR, I thought I was going to leave at some point in the window. It didn't happen.
'I had to get my head around that to begin with, and then to get my head around it again was hard. I'm a human being.' He added: 'I understand what Alex is going through. I feel for him. 'He will be going through a lot. The club is going through a lot. 'I hope everyone gets what they want in the end.'
Originally published as English Premier League transfer news: Newcastle reject Liverpool offer for Alexander Isak

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Knights opt for new set of halves against Panthers side on eight-game winning run
JAKE Arthur will make his first NRL appearance for Newcastle after being named to start in the halves against defending-premiers Penrith on Friday. Arthur, 22, only joined Newcastle five weeks ago from Manly but has won a call-up to the first-grade side after three NSW Cup appearances. He was a late withdrawal from the reserve-grade side's match in Sydney on Sunday, on a weekend when the NRL team had a bye. Knights coach Adam O'Brien has named Arthur at five-eighth for the 6pm match at McDonald Jones Stadium, alongside halfback Jack Cogger. Tyson Gamble, who started at five-eighth in Newcastle's loss to Canberra before the bye, has been dropped to 18th man. In other changes, rookie forward Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana has been named to play his fourth NRL game and first since round 16, winning a spot on the bench. Tom Cant has also been recalled for an interchange spot. O'Brien has opted for four forwards on the bench, which also includes Mat Croker and Tyson Frizell. Jack Hetherington has been dropped. Jackson Hastings, who had featured in the halves before being dumped to the bench last game, is in the extended match squad along with Kyle McCarthy, Hetherington and Matt Arthur, Jake's younger brother. Jake's sole NRL appearance this year came for Manly in round 12. He has played 29 NRL games overall, 22 of them for his debut club Parramatta across 2021-23. The Rouse Hill Rhinos junior, the son of former Eels coach Brad Arthur, faces a potential baptism of fire against Penrith, given they are on an eight-game winning streak. The Panthers will be without injured skipper Isaah Yeo, but they've won every game since losing to Newcastle in May The Knights' 25-6 victory at Bathurst in round 12, their first win over Penrith since 2018, came when the four-time reigning champions were without more than 1100 games of combined NRL experience. Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Brian To'o, Liam Martin and Dylan Edwards were all on Origin duty, while experienced forwards Isaiah Papali'i and Luke Garner were also unavailable. But all but Yeo, who is nursing a shoulder injury, have been named to feature this time round. "We've had some good run-ins over the last couple of years," Knights forward Mat Croker said on Tuesday. "They got us by a field goal a few years ago, [and] Nathan scored a match-winner maybe last year. "We've always had good run-ins with them. "They're on a bit of a hot streak at the moment. I know they didn't have a great second half last week but still managed to get the job done. "There will be a big crowd there on Friday, and [we are] ready for the challenge." Newcastle's breakthrough win over Penrith this year came after some close contests in recent seasons. Since a 42-6 hammering in 2022, the Knights have lost to Penrith 16-15 in golden-point extra time and 20-12 in 2023, and 26-18 and 22-14 last year. Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary sealed victory with a try of his own late last season at Penrith, while he memorably kicked two field goals to snatch the 16-15 win in Newcastle. "It's pretty special when you get to come up against the elite of the elite, and I think that's what everyone tries to relish in ... the fact you want to try and beat them teams and those players," Croker said of Penrith. "We'll take that challenge head on, and are pretty excited for it." But as undermanned as Penrith were earlier this season, as O'Brien was at pains to point out after the win, Newcastle were also missing skipper Kalyn Ponga, starting front-rowers Jacob Saifiti and Leo Thompson, and their left centre-wing combination of Bradman Best and Greg Marzhew. Fletcher Sharpe ran riot playing fullback in place of Ponga, Gamble set up three tries and back-rower Dylan Lucas scored a hat-trick. This week, the Knights will be without at least Ponga, Sharpe and Lucas, while Best has been named to return from a knee injury after missing the side's 44-18 loss to Canberra. Penrith dropped to dead last after losing to Newcastle in May, but after eight consecutive wins they have rocketed into fifth position on the NRL ladder, just a single competition point behind the fourth-placed Warriors. They scored a controversial win over Gold Coast on Saturday, blowing a 24-0 lead as the Titans scored five tries in the second half to take a 26-24 advantage in the 73rd minute, before Clearly kicked a two-point field goal to draw level in dying stages. Blaize Talagi's runaway try secured the win two minutes into golden-point extra time. Since beating Penrith, Newcastle have won just two of eight games, improving only one position to 14th. With five games left to play, only a better points differential is keeping Newcastle (-116) above 15th-placed Parramatta (-153), while the Gold Coast (-153) and South Sydney (-197) are both two points, or a win, behind on the bottom rungs of the ladder. Those two sides play each other this weekend, while the Rabbitohs are the only side in the bottom four who have a bye to come. JAKE Arthur will make his first NRL appearance for Newcastle after being named to start in the halves against defending-premiers Penrith on Friday. Arthur, 22, only joined Newcastle five weeks ago from Manly but has won a call-up to the first-grade side after three NSW Cup appearances. He was a late withdrawal from the reserve-grade side's match in Sydney on Sunday, on a weekend when the NRL team had a bye. Knights coach Adam O'Brien has named Arthur at five-eighth for the 6pm match at McDonald Jones Stadium, alongside halfback Jack Cogger. Tyson Gamble, who started at five-eighth in Newcastle's loss to Canberra before the bye, has been dropped to 18th man. In other changes, rookie forward Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana has been named to play his fourth NRL game and first since round 16, winning a spot on the bench. Tom Cant has also been recalled for an interchange spot. O'Brien has opted for four forwards on the bench, which also includes Mat Croker and Tyson Frizell. Jack Hetherington has been dropped. Jackson Hastings, who had featured in the halves before being dumped to the bench last game, is in the extended match squad along with Kyle McCarthy, Hetherington and Matt Arthur, Jake's younger brother. Jake's sole NRL appearance this year came for Manly in round 12. He has played 29 NRL games overall, 22 of them for his debut club Parramatta across 2021-23. The Rouse Hill Rhinos junior, the son of former Eels coach Brad Arthur, faces a potential baptism of fire against Penrith, given they are on an eight-game winning streak. The Panthers will be without injured skipper Isaah Yeo, but they've won every game since losing to Newcastle in May The Knights' 25-6 victory at Bathurst in round 12, their first win over Penrith since 2018, came when the four-time reigning champions were without more than 1100 games of combined NRL experience. Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Brian To'o, Liam Martin and Dylan Edwards were all on Origin duty, while experienced forwards Isaiah Papali'i and Luke Garner were also unavailable. But all but Yeo, who is nursing a shoulder injury, have been named to feature this time round. "We've had some good run-ins over the last couple of years," Knights forward Mat Croker said on Tuesday. "They got us by a field goal a few years ago, [and] Nathan scored a match-winner maybe last year. "We've always had good run-ins with them. "They're on a bit of a hot streak at the moment. I know they didn't have a great second half last week but still managed to get the job done. "There will be a big crowd there on Friday, and [we are] ready for the challenge." Newcastle's breakthrough win over Penrith this year came after some close contests in recent seasons. Since a 42-6 hammering in 2022, the Knights have lost to Penrith 16-15 in golden-point extra time and 20-12 in 2023, and 26-18 and 22-14 last year. Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary sealed victory with a try of his own late last season at Penrith, while he memorably kicked two field goals to snatch the 16-15 win in Newcastle. "It's pretty special when you get to come up against the elite of the elite, and I think that's what everyone tries to relish in ... the fact you want to try and beat them teams and those players," Croker said of Penrith. "We'll take that challenge head on, and are pretty excited for it." But as undermanned as Penrith were earlier this season, as O'Brien was at pains to point out after the win, Newcastle were also missing skipper Kalyn Ponga, starting front-rowers Jacob Saifiti and Leo Thompson, and their left centre-wing combination of Bradman Best and Greg Marzhew. Fletcher Sharpe ran riot playing fullback in place of Ponga, Gamble set up three tries and back-rower Dylan Lucas scored a hat-trick. This week, the Knights will be without at least Ponga, Sharpe and Lucas, while Best has been named to return from a knee injury after missing the side's 44-18 loss to Canberra. Penrith dropped to dead last after losing to Newcastle in May, but after eight consecutive wins they have rocketed into fifth position on the NRL ladder, just a single competition point behind the fourth-placed Warriors. They scored a controversial win over Gold Coast on Saturday, blowing a 24-0 lead as the Titans scored five tries in the second half to take a 26-24 advantage in the 73rd minute, before Clearly kicked a two-point field goal to draw level in dying stages. Blaize Talagi's runaway try secured the win two minutes into golden-point extra time. Since beating Penrith, Newcastle have won just two of eight games, improving only one position to 14th. With five games left to play, only a better points differential is keeping Newcastle (-116) above 15th-placed Parramatta (-153), while the Gold Coast (-153) and South Sydney (-197) are both two points, or a win, behind on the bottom rungs of the ladder. Those two sides play each other this weekend, while the Rabbitohs are the only side in the bottom four who have a bye to come. JAKE Arthur will make his first NRL appearance for Newcastle after being named to start in the halves against defending-premiers Penrith on Friday. Arthur, 22, only joined Newcastle five weeks ago from Manly but has won a call-up to the first-grade side after three NSW Cup appearances. He was a late withdrawal from the reserve-grade side's match in Sydney on Sunday, on a weekend when the NRL team had a bye. Knights coach Adam O'Brien has named Arthur at five-eighth for the 6pm match at McDonald Jones Stadium, alongside halfback Jack Cogger. Tyson Gamble, who started at five-eighth in Newcastle's loss to Canberra before the bye, has been dropped to 18th man. In other changes, rookie forward Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana has been named to play his fourth NRL game and first since round 16, winning a spot on the bench. Tom Cant has also been recalled for an interchange spot. O'Brien has opted for four forwards on the bench, which also includes Mat Croker and Tyson Frizell. Jack Hetherington has been dropped. Jackson Hastings, who had featured in the halves before being dumped to the bench last game, is in the extended match squad along with Kyle McCarthy, Hetherington and Matt Arthur, Jake's younger brother. Jake's sole NRL appearance this year came for Manly in round 12. He has played 29 NRL games overall, 22 of them for his debut club Parramatta across 2021-23. The Rouse Hill Rhinos junior, the son of former Eels coach Brad Arthur, faces a potential baptism of fire against Penrith, given they are on an eight-game winning streak. The Panthers will be without injured skipper Isaah Yeo, but they've won every game since losing to Newcastle in May The Knights' 25-6 victory at Bathurst in round 12, their first win over Penrith since 2018, came when the four-time reigning champions were without more than 1100 games of combined NRL experience. Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Brian To'o, Liam Martin and Dylan Edwards were all on Origin duty, while experienced forwards Isaiah Papali'i and Luke Garner were also unavailable. But all but Yeo, who is nursing a shoulder injury, have been named to feature this time round. "We've had some good run-ins over the last couple of years," Knights forward Mat Croker said on Tuesday. "They got us by a field goal a few years ago, [and] Nathan scored a match-winner maybe last year. "We've always had good run-ins with them. "They're on a bit of a hot streak at the moment. I know they didn't have a great second half last week but still managed to get the job done. "There will be a big crowd there on Friday, and [we are] ready for the challenge." Newcastle's breakthrough win over Penrith this year came after some close contests in recent seasons. Since a 42-6 hammering in 2022, the Knights have lost to Penrith 16-15 in golden-point extra time and 20-12 in 2023, and 26-18 and 22-14 last year. Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary sealed victory with a try of his own late last season at Penrith, while he memorably kicked two field goals to snatch the 16-15 win in Newcastle. "It's pretty special when you get to come up against the elite of the elite, and I think that's what everyone tries to relish in ... the fact you want to try and beat them teams and those players," Croker said of Penrith. "We'll take that challenge head on, and are pretty excited for it." But as undermanned as Penrith were earlier this season, as O'Brien was at pains to point out after the win, Newcastle were also missing skipper Kalyn Ponga, starting front-rowers Jacob Saifiti and Leo Thompson, and their left centre-wing combination of Bradman Best and Greg Marzhew. Fletcher Sharpe ran riot playing fullback in place of Ponga, Gamble set up three tries and back-rower Dylan Lucas scored a hat-trick. This week, the Knights will be without at least Ponga, Sharpe and Lucas, while Best has been named to return from a knee injury after missing the side's 44-18 loss to Canberra. Penrith dropped to dead last after losing to Newcastle in May, but after eight consecutive wins they have rocketed into fifth position on the NRL ladder, just a single competition point behind the fourth-placed Warriors. They scored a controversial win over Gold Coast on Saturday, blowing a 24-0 lead as the Titans scored five tries in the second half to take a 26-24 advantage in the 73rd minute, before Clearly kicked a two-point field goal to draw level in dying stages. Blaize Talagi's runaway try secured the win two minutes into golden-point extra time. Since beating Penrith, Newcastle have won just two of eight games, improving only one position to 14th. With five games left to play, only a better points differential is keeping Newcastle (-116) above 15th-placed Parramatta (-153), while the Gold Coast (-153) and South Sydney (-197) are both two points, or a win, behind on the bottom rungs of the ladder. Those two sides play each other this weekend, while the Rabbitohs are the only side in the bottom four who have a bye to come. JAKE Arthur will make his first NRL appearance for Newcastle after being named to start in the halves against defending-premiers Penrith on Friday. Arthur, 22, only joined Newcastle five weeks ago from Manly but has won a call-up to the first-grade side after three NSW Cup appearances. He was a late withdrawal from the reserve-grade side's match in Sydney on Sunday, on a weekend when the NRL team had a bye. Knights coach Adam O'Brien has named Arthur at five-eighth for the 6pm match at McDonald Jones Stadium, alongside halfback Jack Cogger. Tyson Gamble, who started at five-eighth in Newcastle's loss to Canberra before the bye, has been dropped to 18th man. In other changes, rookie forward Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana has been named to play his fourth NRL game and first since round 16, winning a spot on the bench. Tom Cant has also been recalled for an interchange spot. O'Brien has opted for four forwards on the bench, which also includes Mat Croker and Tyson Frizell. Jack Hetherington has been dropped. Jackson Hastings, who had featured in the halves before being dumped to the bench last game, is in the extended match squad along with Kyle McCarthy, Hetherington and Matt Arthur, Jake's younger brother. Jake's sole NRL appearance this year came for Manly in round 12. He has played 29 NRL games overall, 22 of them for his debut club Parramatta across 2021-23. The Rouse Hill Rhinos junior, the son of former Eels coach Brad Arthur, faces a potential baptism of fire against Penrith, given they are on an eight-game winning streak. The Panthers will be without injured skipper Isaah Yeo, but they've won every game since losing to Newcastle in May The Knights' 25-6 victory at Bathurst in round 12, their first win over Penrith since 2018, came when the four-time reigning champions were without more than 1100 games of combined NRL experience. Yeo, Nathan Cleary, Brian To'o, Liam Martin and Dylan Edwards were all on Origin duty, while experienced forwards Isaiah Papali'i and Luke Garner were also unavailable. But all but Yeo, who is nursing a shoulder injury, have been named to feature this time round. "We've had some good run-ins over the last couple of years," Knights forward Mat Croker said on Tuesday. "They got us by a field goal a few years ago, [and] Nathan scored a match-winner maybe last year. "We've always had good run-ins with them. "They're on a bit of a hot streak at the moment. I know they didn't have a great second half last week but still managed to get the job done. "There will be a big crowd there on Friday, and [we are] ready for the challenge." Newcastle's breakthrough win over Penrith this year came after some close contests in recent seasons. Since a 42-6 hammering in 2022, the Knights have lost to Penrith 16-15 in golden-point extra time and 20-12 in 2023, and 26-18 and 22-14 last year. Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary sealed victory with a try of his own late last season at Penrith, while he memorably kicked two field goals to snatch the 16-15 win in Newcastle. "It's pretty special when you get to come up against the elite of the elite, and I think that's what everyone tries to relish in ... the fact you want to try and beat them teams and those players," Croker said of Penrith. "We'll take that challenge head on, and are pretty excited for it." But as undermanned as Penrith were earlier this season, as O'Brien was at pains to point out after the win, Newcastle were also missing skipper Kalyn Ponga, starting front-rowers Jacob Saifiti and Leo Thompson, and their left centre-wing combination of Bradman Best and Greg Marzhew. Fletcher Sharpe ran riot playing fullback in place of Ponga, Gamble set up three tries and back-rower Dylan Lucas scored a hat-trick. This week, the Knights will be without at least Ponga, Sharpe and Lucas, while Best has been named to return from a knee injury after missing the side's 44-18 loss to Canberra. Penrith dropped to dead last after losing to Newcastle in May, but after eight consecutive wins they have rocketed into fifth position on the NRL ladder, just a single competition point behind the fourth-placed Warriors. They scored a controversial win over Gold Coast on Saturday, blowing a 24-0 lead as the Titans scored five tries in the second half to take a 26-24 advantage in the 73rd minute, before Clearly kicked a two-point field goal to draw level in dying stages. Blaize Talagi's runaway try secured the win two minutes into golden-point extra time. Since beating Penrith, Newcastle have won just two of eight games, improving only one position to 14th. With five games left to play, only a better points differential is keeping Newcastle (-116) above 15th-placed Parramatta (-153), while the Gold Coast (-153) and South Sydney (-197) are both two points, or a win, behind on the bottom rungs of the ladder. Those two sides play each other this weekend, while the Rabbitohs are the only side in the bottom four who have a bye to come.

The Australian
2 days ago
- The Australian
Cricket's bravest: Rick McCosker recalls Chris Woakes injured batting
McCosker was glued to his television in Newcastle and floated back in time. Back to 1977 when he walked out to bat at No 10 at the MCG against England in the Centenary Test with his jaw wired shut and crudely strapped after it was broken in the first innings by a Bob Willis bouncer. Woakes and McCosker, along with the likes of South African batsman Graeme Smith, Australia's Dean Jones and Nathan Lyon and England batsmen Eddie Paynter and Colin Cowdrey will share lifelong membership of cricket's Crazy Brave Club. It's for incapacitated batsmen who had no right to bat but somehow did. 'I was glued to the television and I guess you do think back a bit,'' McCosker told this masthead of Woakes effort to bat with a dislocated shoulder in the final Test against India even though he was not required to face a ball. 'Woakes' challenge was bigger than mine. At least I had my arms free. I could not run and was a bit restricted. My situation was easier than his was. All he could do was stand down the other end. I felt for him because there was so little he could do. 'I have a lot of respect for Woakes. He has been a good bowler for a long time. He did all he could do. What he did was fantastic.'' Just as Woakes told captain Ben Stokes there was no way he would not be batting, so was McCosker equally emphatic when approached in the MCG dressing room by Greg Chappell before his crucial 25. 'I remember I had being in hospital for a couple of days and I got back to the dressing room and Rod Marsh was getting close to a century and we needed more runs and I just decided I wanted to do my bit. Greg Chappell gave me the option and I said 'I want to do it. 'The bandage was ugly but I had to keep my upper and lower jaw together.'' It doesn't happen often but when a player volunteers to bat with a major injury it creates memories which are never forgotten. England star's heroic act as India claims thrilling Test win Cricket Burdened with bowling in the shadow of Jasprit Bumrah hasn't always been easy for Mohammed Siraj. But the hero of India's famous Test win at the Oval has never been short of self-belief. Cricket Chris Woakes has produced one of the most heroic acts in English cricket history, batting just days after he dislocated his shoulder against India. But his efforts weren't enough to save the fifth Test.

The Australian
2 days ago
- The Australian
Diogo Jota: Liverpool's emotional Anfield tribute to late star and brother
It marks the first match at Liverpool's home since the Portuguese forward tragically passed away in a car accident last month. Liverpool legend Phil Thompson was joined by Bilbao's club president Jon Uriarte and they laid down a wreath of flowers each just before kick-off. One wreath was for Jota and the other for his brother Andre Silva, who was in the car with him and also died at the scene. At the same time, tens of thousands of Liverpool fans in attendance chanted Jota's song. Pre-match proceedings were disrupted earlier in the day when the fire alarms went off, leading to Liverpool's famous ground being evacuated. The alarms have been since proven to be false and first went off just over an hour before the game started. A club statement read: 'Shortly before 3:50pm there was a false alarm in the Anfield Main Stand, leading to supporters in that area of the stadium to be temporarily evacuated. 'Fans are now being let back into the Main Stand and there is no expected delay to KO. 'Thank you for everyone's co-operation.' That led to everyone in the ground having to leave before coming back in to pay tribute to Jota. The club also have a special programme dedicated to Jota, which includes various pictures of him on the cover, and a caption that reads: 'Forever our number 20'. The Reds have also already announced that his number is being permanently retired by the club. And at Anfield, it was a sight to behold as the stadium was covered in thousands of Jota flags and shirts. In the programme, there is a special message from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, which reads: 'He will always be with us. 'I always come back to the fact that we have to look after Diogo's family, his parents, and that's the main thing. 'You think about so many different things, and it's difficult to process. 'You can't imagine the pain, the feeling that they have. That's why we try to be there as much as we can, and for each other as well.' Ahead of the game, there were Jota scarves and flags everywhere, while several murals have popped up all over the city. The football world is still reeling from the tragic death of Jota and his brother Silva on July 3 in Spain. The duo were travelling to get the ferry to Merseyside when they were involved in the fatal car crash. The forward's teammates have marked a lot of pre-season by re-creating a celebration dedicated to Jota's love of FIFA and online games. In the match itself, the Reds went 2-0 up inside the opening five minutes thanks to goals from Darwin Nunez and Rio Ngumoha. They are now 4-1 up with an own goal from Alex Padilla and Harvey Elliott adding gloss to the scoreline. But the LaLiga side have pulled one back through Gorka Guruzeta. The two teams play each other in a second friendly at Anfield on Monday, which kicks off at 8pm. The Reds kick-off their Premier League title defence next Friday in the opener, live on welcome Bournemouth to Anfield on what is sure to be another emotional night. Football Just two months after Tottenham's sacking of Aussie coach Ange Postecoglou, a legend has quit the club. Plus, Liverpool's push to sign Alexander Isak escalates. Football An angry parent says junior footballers have been 'carved up and told you don't exist' amid a proposed overhaul which has left about 1000 players in jeopardy.