Alexander Isak, Rodrygo, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez - Liverpool transfer state of play

Daily Mirror

5 days ago

Liverpool hold a strong interest in Alexander Isak and have informed Newcastle of their intent to sign him, and if they can't get him they could move for Magpies target Hugo Ekitike
If Liverpool fans thought that excitement around the Reds' transfer window had peaked with the club record arrival of Florian Wirtz, they were wrong.
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Tuesday brought a new flurry of activity around Liverpool incomings and outgoings, with the headline act being Alexander Isak after the Reds expressed their interest in the Newcastle United forward.
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The Magpies don't want to sell, obviously, but they've been painted into a corner by Liverpool's swift moves in the market and their own long-standing interest in Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt, who has turned down Newcastle in the past.
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On Tuesday it was Frankfurt who were doing the rejecting, as they dismissed Newcastle's bid of £70m for the 23-year-old. And having also monitored Ekitike this summer, Liverpool have sensed their chance to strike.
In what could be seen as a power move from the Premier League champions, the Reds have effectively called Newcastle's bluff over their reason for bidding for Ekitike in the first place. The Magpies insist that they want to pair him with Isak, but it is doubtful whether that would be possible from both a tactical and financial standpoint.
They perhaps could accommodate both for a season before Isak moves on next summer, but Liverpool's very public expression of interest in the Swede is being seen as a way to force both the player and Newcastle's hand, and now all eyes are on the 25-year-old to see what he does next.
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If he says he wants to leave then Liverpool will look to do a deal at around £120m, but if Newcastle insist he stays or indeed he wants to stay then the Reds will further explore a move for Ekitike, thereby ruining Newcastle's succession plan.
The Reds could still end up with neither player of course, with the likes of Yoane Wissa, Ollie Watkins, Victor Osimhen and even Marcus Rashford discussed as alternatives, however unlikely the latter may be, but Isak and Ekitike are currently top of the bill.
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Any move for a No.9 will only further hasten Darwin Nunez 's summer exit from the Reds, even though the Uruguayan has seen a potential move to Napoli collapse. The Italian champions have deemed Nunez too expensive and instead moved on to Udinese's Lorenzo Lucca.
Nunez is still in the Anfield departure lounge though, and it remains to be seen whether previous interest in him from Atletico Madrid is followed up. Saudi clubs continue to monitor him after a bid was rejected in January, but any move would only happen on Liverpool's terms.
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The same can be said for Nunez's team-mate Luis Diaz, and right now those terms simply aren't being met. Liverpool rejected an offer of around £58m from Bayern Munich earlier this week, and again reiterated that the Colombian wasn't for sale.
Diaz, 28, is known to be open to embracing a new challenge, and perhaps more importantly a new contract, elsewhere though, and with no sign of Liverpool offering him a new deal he remains on the same contract he signed when he joined the Reds from Porto in January 2022, putting him way behind the Reds' top earners.
As the Reds have frequently shown in the past, they are happy to let players remain on their existing deals if they feel it makes sense for the club, and they view Diaz as a good character who will continue to give his all for the side despite any unhappiness. They will only consider a sale if their valuation is met.
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If Diaz does go, then a move for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo can't be ruled out. Spanish publication AS have gone big on Liverpool's interest in the Brazilian on Wednesday, and he would be another stunning addition this summer.
The 24-year-old is one of those players who has been on Liverpool's list for years, coming close to joining the Reds for just £2.5m back in 2017 before deciding to stay in Brazil with Santos.
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AS even go as far as to state that 'the first step has been laid' and Liverpool will send a delegation to Madrid in the coming days, although any deal would be an expensive one to try and pull off.
The other major potential Liverpool incoming remains Marc Guehi, with the Reds seemingly happy to play a waiting game on the Crystal Palace captain as his contract enters its final year. Liverpool are still looking to do a deal at around £40m, with Palace still looking for more.
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As Mirror Football revealed on Tuesday, Ibrahima Konate has turned down interest from the Saudi Pro League but there remains no movement on his contract. Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are monitoring the situation this summer but it would be a surprise if he didn't kick off the season as a Liverpool player.
Meanwhile Harvey Elliott has become a top target for West Ham after they sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham, with the Hammers also taking a liking to Tyler Morton.
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