Report: Newcastle reject Liverpool's bid worth initial £120M for Isak
Newcastle United have turned down Liverpool's opening offer of £120 million plus add-ons for Alexander Isak, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.
Liverpool won't submit a second bid unless Newcastle show a willingness to conduct business after finding a replacement for Isak, ESPN's Beth Lindop reports. The Magpies value the 25-year-old at about £150 million.
Isak has been training alone at his former club, Real Sociedad, while Newcastle are on a preseason tour of Asia. His omission from Eddie Howe's squad was his own decision amid uncertainty around his future, sources told The Athletic's David Ornstein. He reportedly informed Newcastle of his desire to leave last week.
Liverpool's huge bid is larger than the record transfer fee paid by a British club. Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez is currently the most expensive recruit at £107 million, but Florian Wirtz, who arrived at Liverpool earlier this summer, could reportedly cost £116 million after bonuses. The eventual sum for Moises Caicedo, another Chelsea player, could reach £115 million.
Liverpool's summer outlay could exceed £250 million before the potential acquisition of Isak. The reigning Premier League champions have signed Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, and Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt in an eye-catching spree.
It's been a largely frustrating summer transfer window for Newcastle. Despite offering the incentive of Champions League football, their only addition to Howe's senior squad is Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for around £55 million. Their attempts to sign Ekitike and James Trafford, the latter of whom left Burnley for Manchester City on Tuesday, fell short, and they risk missing out on Brentford's Yoane Wissa and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko. Newcastle were also linked with Bryan Mbeumo (who joined Manchester United) and new Chelsea signings Liam Delap and Joao Pedro.
Newcastle have tried to tie Isak down to a contract beyond his current agreement, which runs until 2028, with a release clause available from next summer, Ornstein reports. There's been no luck on that front, either, as the Magpies face the prospect of losing a forward who recorded 23 goals and six assists in the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.