Soccer Football - Premier League - Newcastle United v Ipswich Town - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - April 26, 2025 Newcastle United's Alexander Isak celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Scott Heppell EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO USE WITH UNAUTHORIZED AUDIO, VIDEO, DATA, FIXTURE LISTS, CLUB/LEAGUE LOGOS OR 'LIVE' SERVICES. ONLINE IN-MATCH USE LIMITED TO 120 IMAGES, NO VIDEO EMULATION. NO USE IN BETTING, GAMES OR SINGLE CLUB/LEAGUE/PLAYER PUBLICATIONS. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE FOR FURTHER DETAILS..
Alexander Isak has informed Newcastle he wants to explore his options this summer. This comes after the player was left out of the Newcastle squad that traveled to Singapore on Thursday, with the club claiming he is nursing a minor thigh injury.
The immense transfer speculation is believed to be another deciding factor in the decision to leave the player out however, with Sky Sports reporting that conversations between the club and player over a new and improved contract have so far not progressed.
Isak also missed Newcastle’s 4-0 friendly defeat against Celtic in Glasgow on July 19, with boss Eddie Howe admitting after the game that he had chosen to send Isak back to Newcastle due to concerns about the player being affected by speculation over his future.
There has not been a formal transfer request to date, and Isak has three years left on his deal with the club. Newcastle value their top goal scorer at £150m and have so far insisted he’s not for sale.
Liverpool are understood to be the front runners, after last week making an informal approach for the player. Newcastle quickly rejected this approach, and Liverpool pivoted to signing Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike instead.
The Reds remain huge admirers of Isak and could re-emerge if they sell Luis Diaz.
Isak ready to explore options
Any deal for Isak is understood to be extremely difficult to complete for Liverpool or any interested party. Newcastle remain in a strong position given the player’s contract and their asking price is sure to put off many suitors.
Isak was heavily linked to Arsenal towards the end of last season, but Arsenal were resigned to the fact that Newcastle were unlikely to do business. The Gunners did not approach Newcastle this summer and are now nearing a deal for Sporting’s Viktor Gyokeres.
Chelsea is another name thrown into the ring, with Blues one of this summer’s big spenders. Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol reported however that Chelsea are not interested and have faith in their attacking options.
Isak joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad for £63m in August 2022, and has been an instant Premier League star. He has scored 54 goals in 86 appearances for the Magpies. He scored 23 Premier League goals last season, finishing second in the golden boot race behind Mohamed Salah.
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