Liverpool Transfer News: Why Alexander Isak's £300k Demands Have Set Off Alarm Bells at Newcastle

You'll Never Walk Alone is echoing louder as Liverpool monitor a top Premier League striker amid contract tension and transfer whispers.

Alexander Isak's contract demands to Newcastle United have added a dramatic twist to an already intense transfer saga involving Liverpool and the Swedish striker.

The 24-year-old forward has emerged as a marquee target for the Premier League champions, who reportedly remain keen on him despite Newcastle’s firm stance that he is not for sale.

Liverpool have been linked with a summer swoop for Isak, but would need to stump up a staggering £125 million to tempt Newcastle into negotiations. The Magpies, however, have consistently maintained that the player remains integral to their long-term plans.

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“We are indeed studying and analysing all options, and we may be close to finalising the next step for the player,” Isak’s agent Gonzalo Gaitan told Saudi Arabian newspaper Arriyadiyah, as clubs in the Gulf state also circle.

“Without revealing any details regarding whether Isak will transfer or stay with Newcastle.”

Isak Seeks Massive Pay Rise Amid Exit Rumours

Amid the growing speculation, talkSPORT reports that Isak and his representatives have laid out clear demands to remain at Newcastle — with the striker seeking a £300,000-per-week wage to extend his stay.

This figure represents more than double his current weekly salary of £120,000, which he has been earning since his £60 million move from Real Sociedad in 2022.

Such a demand would break Newcastle United’s current wage structure and has reportedly unsettled some decision-makers at the club.

Newcastle, who have operated under a tightly controlled financial model even after their Saudi-backed ownership, would face a major dilemma in reshaping their wage model around one player.

Fuel was added to the fire when a Newcastle supporter posted a photo on social media appearing to show Isak training alone at the club’s Benton base on Tuesday.

“Isak training on his own today, that’s him away to Liverpool,” the fan captioned the post, sparking more rumours online.

Howe Defends Absence, But Speculation Grows

The Swedish international was also notably absent from Newcastle’s 4-0 pre-season defeat to Celtic over the weekend. Speaking after the game, manager Eddie Howe addressed the decision to leave Isak out of the squad.

“I chose to send him home,” Howe explained.

“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.”

He added: “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.”

Despite the chaos, Howe remains hopeful that Isak will stay and continue to be a focal point of Newcastle’s attack heading into the 2024/25 season.

“Yes, I've had discussions with him, but that's not abnormal. 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,” Howe said.

“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.”

Newcastle will travel to Asia this week to continue their pre-season campaign, with matches lined up against Arsenal in Singapore on July 27, followed by games against a K League All-Star side and Tottenham Hotspur in South Korea.

Whether Isak boards that flight may prove to be the biggest hint yet of where his future lies.