Alexander Isak, Newcastle United’s prized asset, is the subject of ongoing rumours as the summer transfer window draws near.
Following months of speculation about a possible move to Arsenal, Liverpool suddenly seem to be in the lead for the Swede, who has a contract at St. James’ Park through 2028. According to a number of stories, the Reds want Isak to guide their line into a new age under Arne Slot.
Naturally, Newcastle does not want to lose Isak, and they will soon resume contract negotiations with the striker. This comes after the striker denied rumours that he wanted to leave Tyneside in the near future.
While in Marbella last week, Isak told Swedish publication Fotbollskanalen, “I’ve commented on my situation and my security in Newcastle several times.” “My affection for the city and the club, as well as how good I feel there, have been written about. I’m not considering the future.
However, even after accounting for Isak’s commitment, Newcastle’s tough stance, and the astronomical transfer amount required to acquire the 25-year-old, there are still grounds to believe Liverpool wouldn’t be able to do a deal of that size this summer.
Club icon John Aldridge told the Liverpool Echo this week that Liverpool “looks like they will be leaving themselves with lots to do in the transfer market this summer.” “The way things are at the moment, there’s going to be a lot of movement.”
In the Dutchman’s first season in England, Slot’s team seems poised to win the Premier League handily, but the 2024–2025 winners might look very different the following year. in every part of the field.
This week, Trent Alexander-Arnold has dominated the news as rumours of a summer transfer to Real Madrid intensify. One of three Liverpool mainstays whose contracts expire in the summer, the right-back is set to leave his boyhood club for nothing in order to join friend Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital.
Although Alexander-Arnold’s shadow is being filled by Conor Bradley, it’s difficult to imagine Liverpool not spending heavily on a replacement if the adaptable full-back leaves. The same is true of Virgil van Dijk, another defender whose contract with Anfield is coming to an end.
The red half of Merseyside is currently experiencing anxiety as a result of the center-back’s recent admission that he has “no idea” if he will still be playing for Liverpool next season. Should he decide to depart, Van Dijk is a player who would undoubtedly need to be replaced, and any possible additions of his calibre would probably come at a hefty cost to Liverpool’s summer spending plan.
After that, we go to the other end of the pitch to find Mohamed Salah, the Premier League’s top scorer this season, who has also not extended his contract with the team. Rumour has it that talks have stalled over salary and the length of any new deal. Liverpool has been clamouring for a central striker in recent transfer windows, but Salah’s goals have concealed the team’s lack of a line-leading goalscorer of Isak’s calibre.
Salah’s loss, like that of Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, adds another need to Slot’s shopping list: a substitute for his wide-right position. How can a right-winger who has scored 27 goals so far this season be replaced without going over budget?
This summer will be a time of transition for Liverpool. There are concerns about the long-term prospects of Andy Robertson, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez, Caomhin Kelleher, Harvey Elliot, and Nunez, even if they are able to retain even two of the three already named.
Liverpool may have needed to bolster five or six different positions by the time the 2025–26 season rolled around. That endeavour would be considerably more challenging if Isak were to cost more than £120 million.
