Liverpool have reportedly approached Newcastle United over the availability of Alexander Isak and laid out what they would be prepared to pay for the striker.
It follows the Reds already breaking the British transfer record this summer, agreeing a package worth £116m for former Bayer Leverkusen attacker Florian Wirtz, alongside high-profile deals for Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
But their biggest deal of the summer, somehow, may still be on the way.
Liverpool set Alexander Isak negotiations in motion
Isak is widely regarded as one of football’s hottest strikers following his 21 and 23 goals in consecutive Premier League seasons for Newcastle.
The Magpies’ widely reported stance has always been that the Sweden international is not for sale, but that does not appear to have halted Liverpool in testing the waters.
According to transfer expert David Ornstein from The Athletic, Liverpool have notified Newcastle that they would be willing to spend in the region of £120m on Isak, surpassing the overall package agreed for Wirtz.
The journalist confirmed, however, that these are just initial conversations, with no formal bid yet tabled.
It follows news from the same outlet that Eddie Howe’s side are working €75m move for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, who has spent the vast majority of his young career in the no.9 spot currently occupied by Isak at St James’ Park.
Isak would represent a clear upgrade on Darwin Nunez for the Reds, who is reportedly being eyed by Napoli and Al Hilal as the Merseysiders seek an upgrade.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, Liverpool signing Isak would represent the final piece in the puzzle of undeniably making them one of the strongest squads in the world.
In Alisson, they have one of the best goalkeepers. Virgil van Dijk is their captain. They’ve already replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. They’ve added Wirtz to an attacking unit already boasting a Mohamed Salah in the form of his life. If they recruit Isak, what is the Reds’ weakness? That will be the question haunting top Premier League and Champions League bosses.
The numbers in question are huge, and it’s unlikely to be a quick process to conclude, but Ekitike feels more like a replacement than a complementary signing for Isak.
Isak is valued at €120m, according to Transfermarkt.
