Latest news with #AlexanderIsak
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Alexander Isak appears to train alone at Newcastle, as 'huge wage demands are revealed' to sign new contract amid Liverpool interest
Alexander Isak's contract demands to Newcastle have reportedly been revealed, amid a suggestion from a supporter that the forward trained alone on Tuesday amid continued speculation over his future. Isak has been the subject of interest from Liverpool this summer, but the Premier League champions would likely have to pay in advance of £125million to try to convince Newcastle to sell. The Magpies have made it clear that Isak is not for sale, prompting Liverpool to shift their focus to Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who is set to join in an £80m move. Isak's agent Gonzalo Gaitan spoke out about his future to Saudi Arabian newspaper Arriyadiyah, with the forward attracting interest from clubs in the Gulf state. 'We are indeed studying and analysing all options, and we may be close to finalising the next step for the player,' Gaitan said. 'Without revealing any details regarding whether Isak will transfer or stay with Newcastle.' According to talkSPORT, Isak and his representatives have made his demands clear over conditions for a new contract, with the Swedish star reportedly seeking £300,000-a-week to commit his future to the club. It would more than double the £120,000-a-week wages currently earned by Isak under a six-year deal he agreed in 2022, when he signed from Real Sociedad for £60m. The demands would break Newcastle's tightly controlled wage structure. Amid reports of Isak's contract demands, one eagle eyed supporter shared a photo on social media which appeared to show the forward training alone on Tuesday. 'Isak training on his own today, that's him away to Liverpool,' the fan wrote. The image appeared to show Isak during a fitness drill with a member of Newcastle United staff. Isak had been left out of Newcastle's 4-0 pre-season defeat to Celtic on Saturday, with manager Eddie Howe later admitting the decision was due to ongoing speculation over the striker's future. Howe said speaking after the friendly match: 'I chose to send him home. Isak training on his own today 😢 that's him away to Liverpool #NUFC — Ethan Bewley (@EthanBewley) July 22, 2025 'The last thing Alex wants if he is not playing is to be sat in the stand and under that scrutiny, then if he wasn't going to play today, we mutually agreed he shouldn't be here. 'It was my decision. He travelled back to Glasgow with us, but I decided to send him home due to the speculation around him. Both [Joelinton and Isak] are fit but not ready to play. Alex has trained and is fine but we didn't want to take the risk with him. 'Yes, I've had discussions with him, but that's not abnormal,' he added. 'I respect a player's career and how short it is. Alex has been really good, he's trained really well and I realise there'll be noise around him. 'We have a few of those players who are irreplaceable. Your top players are so hard to find, so hard to recruit and so hard to develop. So when you have them, you need to treasure them. Of course we're desperate to keep him as part of our team. 'I think it's difficult for me to ever give 100 per cent clarity on any player, I'd never do that. 'All I can say is Alex is happy at Newcastle, he loves the players, the staff, the team. 'I've never had any issue with him and I'm confident he's going to be here at the start of the season.' Newcastle are set to begin their pre-season tour in the coming days, with the Magpies facing Arsenal in Singapore on July 27.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Newcastle able to 'revert back to type' if targets do not join
Alexander Isak's future and missing out on transfer targets have been consistent themes of Newcastle's summer, but ex-England midfielder Izzy Christiansen believes the club has a "trick in their armoury" if things do not work boss Eddie Howe suggested part of the reason Isak was not involved in their pre-season friendly with Celtic was because of speculation on his Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike is set to join the club's summer on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, former England captain Steph Houghton said: "The moment he [Isak] has been left out of that friendly at Celtic, that is a bit of a telling sign."They have made a bigger issue out of it really. If he was just there then nobody would really be saying anything."Eddie has said himself, in terms of this summer, it hasn't been great, with changes behind the scenes, players' deals and getting targets in. We know how crucial Isak is to Newcastle and the target of having another striker there to help Isak that is now potentially going to Liverpool is big news because you know how hard it is to get a striker."If I was a Newcastle fan, I would be worried at this moment in time."Christiansen added: "I wouldn't necessarily say as a Newcastle fan that I was worried, but you would want to see positive activity over the next few weeks rather than negative ones."The targets that have chosen other clubs, they are also players who are of a different calibre to the ones that they have signed over the past five years. It is almost like if you don't get them through the door in this quest to evolve the football club, then they revert back to type anyway, which has got them to where they are; bringing in younger players with Eddie and his staff developing them and becoming competitive that way."It's almost like they do have a trick in their armoury that they know they can revert back to what they are good at. What they have done in this window is an attempt to kick on and who knows how that will work out for them."Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds
BreakingNews.ie
9 hours ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
No one can afford to buy Alexander Isak, says ex-Newcastle player John Anderson
Alexander Isak will remain a Newcastle player next season because nobody can afford to buy him. That is the view of former Magpies defender John Anderson amid frenzied speculation over the Sweden international's future on Tyneside following his absence from the club's first pre-season friendly at Celtic on Saturday. Advertisement The 25-year-old striker hit the headlines once again last week when Premier League champions Liverpool indicated they would be prepared to offer £120million – around £30m shy of Newcastle's hands-off valuation – for him should he become available. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe sent striker Alexander Isak home amid speculation over his future. Photo: Jane Barlow/PA. However, Anderson told the PA news agency: 'Once you've got good players and you've got very, very good players, they're always going to be linked with other teams. That's always been the nature of the game and that's never, ever going to go away. 'I just don't think anybody at this moment in time can afford Isak and that's the truth of it. 'There's a lot of speculation about whether he's going to sign a new contract and have the club offered him a new contract – I don't think the boy is in any hurry to sign a new contract because he's got three years left on his present deal. Advertisement 'Why would he be?' Alexander Isak has been a big hit on Tyneside since his £63million switch from Real Sociedad. Photo: Owen Humphreys/PA. Head coach Eddie Howe revealed after the 4-0 defeat at Celtic Park that Isak had been sent home from Glasgow after a pre-season training camp in Austria because he was never going to play any part in the game as he manages his return from a groin injury. Howe did not want him sitting in the stands as the rumours gathered pace, despite his club's insistence that he is simply not for sale. Anderson said: 'It's a high-profile game, the champions of Scotland against a side that's qualified for the Champions League, but I think all the speculation would have been about Isak sitting in the stand rather than being focused on the game.' The former Republic of Ireland defender, who now covers the Magpies' games as a co-commentator for BBC Radio Newcastle, has witnessed Isak's meteoric rise since his £63m arrival from Real Sociedad during the summer of 2022 and knows how vital his retention is. Advertisement He said: 'Oh God, he's huge. It's okay getting whatever you get for him, but how do you replace a player like that? That's the bottom line. Alan Shearer scored 206 goals during his 10-year stay at Newcastle. Photo: Owen Humphreys/PA. 'You've got all the money in the world, yes, but can you get a player in who can do what he does?' Anderson played alongside Kevin Keegan and Peter Beardsley at St James' Park and watched Alan Shearer scored a record 206 goals for the club and he believes Isak is a special talent. He said: 'Shearer was a great out-and-out goalscorer, but this boy has got everything. Not only does he score goals, but he creates goals, he makes space for other people, he frightens the life out of defenders with his movement. Advertisement 'And at the age that he's at, he's still got his prime years ahead of him. He's only going to get better.'
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Is 'Firmino-like' Ekitike a 'better long-term signing' than Isak?
Professional football scout and analyst Umir Irfan says Hugo Ekitike will "facilitate Mohamed Salah's game really well" when his move from Eintracht Frankfurt is discussing the Reds' interest in both Ekitike and Newcastle's Alexander Isak on BBC Radio Merseyside, he said: "It's perhaps a better long-term signing for Liverpool in general to end up with Ekitike."It was going to be one of the two and either way it would be an impressive signing."Ekitike is a really impressive player. There's room for him to improve, which is always an exciting thing - but one thing he does offer is something that is very complementary to the rest of the players around him. I always think that is the most important thing when you sign a player."At Liverpool you have Salah, who you want to maximise for the next couple of years. He's not a player you want defending loads. With Florian Wirtz and Ekitike - they are both players who press incredibly well."But, it's not only the defensive side. On the ball Ekitike drops in really well and facilities play combining with the midfield really well, almost in a Firmino-like manner."That allows players like Salah or Wirtz to come inside and attack further up the pitch more centrally. On top of that, he has a great passing range and willingness to run in behind - whether that is to let other players come inside or free up space for the midfielders behind him."He's a very selfless player in general play and is someone who I think will facilitate Salah's game really well. But, he is selfish in the box in terms of taking lots of shots, which is always something you want from your number nine."Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds
The Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Transfer news LIVE: Ekitike set for Liverpool medical, Xavi Simons KEEN on Chelsea move, Rashford EXIT updates
Alexander Isak latest Alexander Isak's agent says the Newcastle striker 'may be close to finalising the next step' following months of transfer speculation. The much-loved Magpies star has garnered interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool, as well as Saudi Arabian outfit Al Hilal this summer, leading him to miss the 4-0 pre-season defeat to Celtic. Now, his agent has revealed 'all options' are being analysed this summer, and that an outcome may be finalised soon. Gonzalo Gaitan told Saudi Arabian newspaper Arriyadiyah: 'We are indeed studying and analysing all options, and we may be close to finalising the next step for the player. 'Without revealing any details regarding whether Isak will transfer or stay with Newcastle.'
