Newcastle United have turned down a £110 million bid from Liverpool for Swedish striker Alexander Isak, sources close to the club told Observers Times on Friday.
Isak, 25, is reportedly unsettled and has been training away from Newcastle, spending the week at his former side Real Sociedad. Despite having three years left on his current contract, he is said to have informed the club of his desire to leave this summer.
Liverpool’s offer, which includes potential add-ons, fell short of Newcastle’s £150 million valuation. The Magpies are reluctant to let go of their top scorer, who netted 23 goals in the Premier League last season and played a major role in securing Champions League qualification.
A senior club official told Observers Times, “He’s not for sale. Not at this stage, not at that price.”
Although Newcastle cited a thigh injury for Isak’s absence from the club’s pre-season tour of Asia, reports suggest the real reason is his push to exit. Real Sociedad confirmed on Thursday that Isak had been using their Zubieta training facility under the guidance of private trainers.
There were claims on Friday that Newcastle offered the striker a new deal with a release clause for next season. But sources familiar with the situation said he rejected the idea, making it clear he wants to leave now.
Liverpool’s new manager, Arne Slot, has already added Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt and Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen to his attack, but sees Isak as a key piece in building a title-retaining squad.
“Alexander is still our player,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said during a media briefing this week. “He’s contracted to us. We, to a degree, control what’s next for him. My wish is that he stays, but that’s not in my full control.”
Since the window opened, Liverpool have spent over £250 million, adding names like Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili to the mix. The club is clearly pushing to dominate both at home and in Europe, but Newcastle’s stance on Isak remains firm for now.
