Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has named Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak as one of the Premier League’s stand-out strikers, adding fuel to the fire of his ongoing transfer saga.
Isak and Liverpool have a mutual desire to join up this summer, but a bid of £110 million ($148.5 million) was rejected without hesitation by Newcastle earlier this summer. The Reds have been tipped to return with a new offer which has not yet arrived.
Frustrated by the situation, Isak went public with his criticism of Newcastle, sparking a disappointed response from the Magpies, who are now reportedly even more determined to keep hold of the wantaway striker than before.
While fans eagerly await the next move in this increasingly tense saga, Van Dijk did not hesitate to praise Isak when asked to name the toughest strikers he has faced in the Premier League.
“[Erling] Haaland, [Alexander] Isak, [Ollie] Watkins, Harry Kane,” Van Dijk said during an appearance on the PFA’s TikTok page during the 2024–25 award ceremony. “Obviously, we’re speaking about the last couple of years in the Premier League. There are plenty there.
“Everyone has a different challenge against them, I respect everyone that is playing in the Prem because it’s the hardest league in the world.”
Van Dijk has publicly called for Liverpool to sign a new forward following the departures of both Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez, while manager Arne Slot has also confessed the Reds need “at least one” new signing at the top of the pitch.
Numerous outlets state Liverpool are yet to even consider an alternative to Isak but, with the clock ticking in the transfer window and the striker’s fiery statement likely to have further complicated such a deal, the reigning Premier League champions may be forced to look elsewhere.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Virgil van Dijk Sends New Alexander Isak Message After Newcastle Statement Saga.
