Latest news with #AlexanderIsak
The Sun
19 minutes ago
- Business
- The Sun
Alexander Isak disappointed over botched contract offer as Liverpool declare war on Newcastle with Ekitike talks
LIVERPOOL have declared war on Newcastle by opening talks with Eintracht Frankfurt to snatch Hugo Ekitike from Toon's clutches. The Reds are ready to scupper the Magpies' swoop for the French forward, 23, after being told top target Alexander Isak is not for sale at any price by the North East club. 3 3 Liverpool had been ready to launch a whopping British record £120million bid for the 25-year-old Swedish striker. But now Arne Slot is ready to make a power play and throw a grenade on Eddie Howe's plans to break Newcastle's transfer record and pair up Isak with Ekitike. SunSport understands Liverpool officially approached German side Frankfurt today to begin discussions over a fee for Ekitike. It's the latest twist in the double transfer battle between the Merseyside giants and Newcastle. And this latest development could potentially force Toon's 25-year-old Swedish superstar into shelving negotiations for a new-and-improved contract at St. James' Park. Toon's 27-goal top scorer was originally promised a new package by the Magpies' former co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi. But one of the first decisions by now ex-sporting director Paul Mitchell last summer was to put those negotiations on ice - leaving both the hotshot and his camp disappointed over the previous regime's commitment not being honoured. The now-departed Mitchell, who was navigating Toon through tricky PSR waters, took the view Isak was already well paid on £130,000-a-week and that his future was secure due to being tied to the club until 2028. 3 Isak still produced on the pitch, firing Newcastle to their first major piece of silverware for 70 years and securing Champions League qualification, but there has been no progress since on whether he is willing to commit his long-term future to the club. Though they are willing to smash their £150,000-a-week pay ceiling and make him the best-paid player with an annual package worth more than £10m-a-year. What's next in Gibbs-White to Tottenham saga? | Transfers Exposed Talks were planned for this summer but Liverpool's interest threatens to throw a bomb into those plans - although Howe continues to dig his heels in and refuses to lose his talisman. Newcastle have been defiant that last season's 27-goal top scorer was going nowhere and are prepared to offer him improved terms on his £130,000-a-week deal to stay. His dream, having already added Isak's international team-mate Anthony Elanga to his attack, was to bring in Ekitike to play with the pair. Howe is desperate to make it third time lucky having missed out twice on Ekitike in 2022 as he opted for PSG and the Magpies instead signed £63m Isak from Sociedad. But fears are now mounting that, with no verbal agreement in place between the player and Toon, if Liverpool's interest is serious then he would find it hard to say no to them. Frankfurt rejected a £70m bid for Ekitike from Newcastle on Tuesday and are holding out for a figure closer to his £86m release clause. Now the chase for the ace, who cost just £14m from PSG last summer, is hotting up after Liverpool's attempt to hijack the move. As reported yesterday, Isak has not yet pushed for an exit but it is felt he would be keen on joining the Premier League champions. And Toon chiefs feel that Liverpool's public pursuit of him and Ekitike is part of a ploy to try and unsettle him and force Newcastle's hand. Though, as it stands, Isak is still expected to head back with the Magpies squad from their pre-season camp in Austria and face Celtic in a friendly at Parkhead on Saturday.
BBC News
19 minutes ago
- Business
- BBC News
How can Liverpool afford Isak?
Liverpool have spent more than £170m this summer already - and now are interested in a player they would have to break the British transfer record to a package for Newcastle's striker Alexander Isak thought to cost up to £130m, their summer spending would soar to £ would constitute quite the jump from the £10m spent on Federico Chiesa and £25m spent on Giorgi Mamardashvili last summer. Liverpool's income has been boosted this year thanks to several key received £175m in prize money for winning the Premier League. Last season was the club's first full campaign with an expanded Anfield Road End and a higher capacity. And, from 1 August, they have a new kit deal with Adidas which some reports value at £60m per season, more than their current partnership with factors, combined with comparatively low transfer spending in previous windows, mean Liverpool find themselves well within the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), which limit clubs to losses of £105m over three years."Liverpool are a super smart football club," football finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC Sport."They're in an incredibly strong PSR position. Out of the traditional big six clubs, they've spent the least in this three-year cycle - only £325m - and that includes their signing of Florian Wirtz."They've still got plenty of wiggle room with their transfer budget. Plus, a move for a striker is likely to be paid in instalments, meaning the cost can be spread over multiple seasons."Their position could be further boosted. On Tuesday they rejected a £58.6m opening offer from Bayern Munich for forward Luis Liverpool have said Diaz is not for sale, they are understood to be open to selling Darwin Nunez, who has interest from Napoli and Saudi the full analysis of Liverpool's Isak approach
The Independent
an hour ago
- Business
- The Independent
Alexander Isak and the difficult choice Newcastle must make
For Newcastle United, no news was good news. There was gossip, much of it tedious and tiresome, but no concrete developments when it came to Alexander Isak. They could reflect on Arsenal's choice between Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko with some satisfaction: it is no secret that Isak has admirers at the Emirates Stadium but the Gunners accepted they could not get a forward who often scores against them. The prospect, whether more of a possibility than a probability, of an offer from Liverpool would alter that. Any such bid would bring a decision that would define Newcastle's summer; their season, too. For now, what can be said is that there has been no direct contact between the clubs. Newcastle's stance has long been that Isak is not for sale, though Liverpool's similar position when it comes to Luis Diaz has not stopped Bayern Munich from bidding for the Colombian. What can also be assumed is that the fee would be colossal; Florian Wirtz's status as Liverpool 's record signing may only last for a few weeks, while Andy Carroll's as Newcastle's record sale, which has stood since his 2011 move to Anfield, may finally be gone. Carroll cost a then British record £35m. Some would say Isak's value is such that he should have a '1' in front of that. There was some bemusement at St James' Park a few months ago when £150m seemed the quoted number; Newcastle argued they had never put a price on their top scorer. Now there are mentions of £120m. Should anyone submit such a proposal, it ought to prompt a discussion. For all Isak's sleek brilliance, it could be a one-off opportunity to make such an amount. He has three years left on his contract; reach next summer and when he enters the last 24 months of his deal – presuming he does not renew in the meantime – the price could begin to go down. Newcastle had to sell frantically to avoid breaching PSR last year. They have fewer worries now, but a huge profit on a man who cost £63m, much of it since amortised, would end all concerns. It would also facilitate a vast outlay. As it is, Newcastle have already bought Anthony Elanga for £52m this summer. Their pursuit of goalkeeper James Trafford has continued. They offered a club-record sum of £70m for Hugo Ekitike, which Eintracht Frankfurt declined. Sell Isak and, together with Newcastle's existing budget, there would presumably be scope to afford Ekitike, for a raised bid, a back-up striker, Trafford and the right-sided centre-back that has long been on the agenda. But there is a counter-argument. Joao Pedro and Bryan Mbeumo are examples of players who spurned interest from Tyneside; there is no guarantee they land their major targets. Meanwhile, selling Isak, even for Ekitike, would automatically bring a downgrade in attack; it would be hard to replicate the 25-year-old's return of 21 and 23 goals in the last two Premier League campaigns. For now, Newcastle are in the enviable position of having one of the world's best strikers. Isak may be still more coveted because some of the others are unobtainable, in Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. Others again are considerably older, in Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski. It helps, too, that without committing the rest of his career to Newcastle, he has not agitated to leave. With Isak, and a formidably strong starting 11 – some of Newcastle's business is about adding depth, whether Elanga immediately displaces Jacob Murphy or Trafford consigns Nick Pope to the bench – next season is shaping up as an opportunity. Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City represent the top tier of favourites, but it is not impossible to envisage a title challenge from Newcastle. With a match-winner of the calibre of Isak, it is also very possible they would go further in the Champions League than without him. Or, having waited decades for a trophy, they could win two in as many years. It is also pertinent that Newcastle's rise has been built on continuity. Whereas Aston Villa, others to gatecrash the Champions League party, did so with a revolving-door transfer policy, Newcastle kept their crown jewels, costing them the chance to sign but retaining players such as Bruno Guimaraes and Isak. It suits Eddie Howe's approach; there is a sense of a group of players with an affinity to each other and the cause. The bid for Ekitike, who has certain similarities to Isak, added intrigue. The likelihood is they could play together, but it is easy to see the Frenchman as the Swede's successor. But not if Ekitike stays at Frankfurt or, as another on Liverpool's radar, goes to Anfield or Isak remains on Tyneside. Because for now, much of it is still hypothetical. Liverpool rarely bid unless they are certain to get the player (Martin Zubimendi and Moises Caicedo are rare exceptions). They also have a sporting director, Richard Hughes, who worked closely with Howe at Bournemouth, so there are lines of communication if required. And if so, the test will be if the message stays the same, that Isak isn't going anywhere.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Liverpool make approach to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool have made an approach for Hugo Ekitike of Eintracht Frankfurt as their competition with Newcastle over a new striker intensifies. The Premier League champions have been in the market for a No 9 all summer and have contacted Eintracht over the availability of Ekitike, the subject of a failed £70m offer from Newcastle this week. Alexander Isak tops the list of targets for Liverpool, who would be prepared to pay a British record fee to secure Newcastle's centre-forward, but their understanding is the Sweden international is not for sale. Whether Newcastle's – or Isak's – position changes remains to be seen, but Liverpool have several forwards under consideration and could scupper Eddie Howe's move for Ekitike should they decide there is no prospect of a deal for Isak. The champions will have to act quickly to sign Ekitike if that is the case. Newcastle remain in talks with Eintracht over the France Under-21 international, who scored 22 goals and provided 12 assists in all competitions last season, his debut campaign in the Bundesliga. Liverpool's interest in the 23-year-old not only threatens Newcastle's chances but improves the German club's negotiating position. The former Reims and Paris Saint-Germain forward is believed to have a release clause of about €100m (£86.6m) and an auction between two Premier League clubs would encourage them to hold out for the asking price.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Alexander Isak has been linked to Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea but who is the 13/8 favourite to land the Newcastle star?
Alexander Isak has become one of the hottest properties in football after yet another impressive campaign with Newcastle. The Swedish international scored 27 times in 42 games across all competitions last season, including 23 for Newcastle in the Premier League in just 34 outings under Eddie Howe. The 25-year-old was also a crucial cog of the Magpies machine that went all the way in the Carabao Cup to bring silverware back to Newcastle at long last. As a result of his stunning performances as arguably the best striker in the league - out-scoring Manchester City's Erling Haaland by a goal last term - he has been linked with a number of leading teams. Manchester United are currently priced at a very long 40/1, perhaps indicative of their malaise, and their financial situation, particularly having already spent over £60million on Matheus Cunha. Chelsea and European champions Paris Saint-Germain are the next least-likely sides to land Isak this summer according to Sky Bet, with odds of 25/1. Next up are Real Madrid, who have already added Trent Alexander-Arnold to their ranks from the Premier League this summer, though they aren't considered among the favourites at 22/1. Barcelona are the third-most likely side to snap up the Swedish international's services, with the Spanish champions priced at 9/1. Arsenal and Liverpool have been perhaps strongest-linked with the No 9, with both in the hunt for a goal-scorer to fortify their already strong attacking lines. But it is the current Premier League champions who are considered the favourites to sign Isak at 13/8, with Arsenal second with odds of 13/2. Sky Bet odds for clubs to sign Alexander Isak by September 2: Liverpool 13/8 Arsenal 13/2 Barcelona 9/1 Real Madrid 22/1 Paris Saint-Germain 25/1 Chelsea 25/1 Manchester United 40/1
