Liverpool heartbreak for ‘world-class’ striker as transfer BLOCKED amid ‘attempts to unsettle’ claim

Liverpool have been accused of publicly trying to unsettle one of their top targets, according to a report, as the chances of Arne Slot and Richard Hughes going back for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak are revealed.

Despite winning the Premier League title with ease last season, Liverpool manager Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes have been very busy so far in the summer transfer window. There are as many as six new players in the Liverpool squad right now, with Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Armin Pecsi, Freddie Woodman and Giorgi Mamardashvili all teaming up with the Reds.

With Darwin Nunez failing to impress Slot last season and subsequently losing his place in the starting line-up, Liverpool are on the hunt for a new striker, too.

TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, has long reported that Newcastle striker Isak is Slot’s ‘dream signing’ at Liverpool.

Sources have consistently told TEAMtalk that Newcastle do not want to sell Isak and value the striker at £120million.

Even when Liverpool notified that they would be willing to pay that sum for Isak, Newcastle stood firm on their ‘not for sale’ stance.

That led to Liverpool moving swiftly for Hugo Ekitike, with multiple reliable sources, such as Fabrice Hawkins and Fabrizio Romano, reporting that a deal is in place between the Premier League champions and the striker.

Liverpool now need to convince Eintracht Frankfurt to sell Ekitike, who scored 15 goals and gave eight assists in the Bundesliga last season.

According to The Sun, Isak is still ‘tempted’ by a potential transfer to Liverpool and ‘wants to talk to’ the Premier League champions.

However, Newcastle owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), ‘will refuse to sell’ Isak in the summer transfer window.

Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is personally blocking a deal from taking place, despite Isak’s camp still being ‘upset over the lack of a new deal to keep him at St James’ Park’.

Then Newcastle co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi had reportedly made ‘a promise’ to increase the striker’s £130,000-a-week salary 12 months ago, but outgoing sporting director Paul Mitchell did not act on it.

Newcastle, though, are now ready to act on that promise and are willing to make Isak their highest-paid player in history by offering him over £200,000-a-week.

Football Insider has reported that Newcastle are not happy with Liverpool playing out the Isak situation in public.

According to the report, Newcastle ‘have accused Liverpool of making an overtly public approach’ for Isak, who was described as “world class” by Magpies legend Alan Shearer on BBC Sport in January 2025.

‘Liverpool’s public attempts to unsettle the Swede hasn’t gone down well at St. James’ Park, adds the report.

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Could Liverpool return for Alexander Isak?

Although it seems at the moment that Liverpool have abandoned their pursuit of Isak and are now keen on signing Ekitike, the summer transfer window is still open and anything is possible.

Frankfurt want €100million (£86.6m, $116.4m) for Ekitike, according to SportBild, and so far, Liverpool have not agreed to pay that sum.

While Newcastle fans will be relieved for now that Liverpool have moved on from Isak, reliable journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed that the Premier League champions could return to the Swedish star, if not this summer, then certainly in the future.

Jacobs said on Grizz Khan’s YouTube channel: “Ekitike is not a new deal, they ran the data, he scores highly, he’s versatile, in the box he’s got a bit of an old-style quality about him too, so a lot of attributes that fit the Liverpool system.

“And yet, we know that Isak is, was, whichever way you want to look at it, the dream target. I don’t think Liverpool and Isak is over. But, perhaps for this window [it is].

“Newcastle’s own desire to bring in Ekitike, even if it was Ekitike and Isak, had an element of succession planning.

“And they [Liverpool] will know that Newcastle, one day, there will come a point where Isak is sold.

“When that day comes, I still expect Liverpool to be there. Is it going to be now and in addition to Hugo Ekitike?

“You would think it highly unlikely. You can never say never with Liverpool and this window, but ultimately the urgency to get clarity on Isak was prompted by Newcastle moving for Ekitike and they didn’t want Ekitike to think they were all in on Isak and he was a back-up.

“The belief at the moment is that £120-130m would not be accepted, Newcastle are quite bullish, so for now Isak is not as active as it was 48 hours ago.

“It doesn’t mean they won’t revisit it in future windows or other points in time. But for now all the focus has switched to Ekitike.”

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “From what I’m hearing, Alexander Isak is very calm.

“He knows very well that Newcastle want to keep him and he knows that Newcastle want to offer him a really important contract.

“At the same time, he knows that Liverpool would offer not just important money but an ambitious project, too.

“So Alexander Isak is not closing doors to this possibility and Liverpool were never going to make club-to-club contact without a feeling that the player would be open to the idea of a move.”

Liverpool transfer news: Striker wants Man Utd move, Arsenal win race

A striker who has been ‘offered’ to Liverpool wants to join Man Utd, claims a report, with Arsenal having decided earlier this summer not to sign him.

Liverpool have missed out on the signing of a top young striker to Arsenal, who have the deal pretty much sewn up.

Meanwhile, the name of a wantaway Liverpool attacker has found its way onto Newcastle United’s radar, with last season’s Carabao Cup winners ready to make a bid for him.

POLL: How much do you think Alexander Isak is worth?