Isak reacts to staggering £600k a week offer as two sources inform Liverpool of Newcastle price

Alexander Isak has been offered an enormous £600,000 a week after tax to complete a move to Al-Hilal as Newcastle’s owners look to keep the unhappy striker in the PIF stable, though the striker’s reaction to the offer has told Liverpool all they need to know.

The Swede has made clear his wish to leave St James’ Park after three seasons, having scored an impressive 62 goals in 109 games under Eddie Howe. Regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, Isak still has three years remaining on his contract at Newcastle, meaning any transfer will not come cheap.

However, moving on is exactly what he intends to do, and having been left out of Newcastle‘s tour of Asia, his future remains very much up in the air.

It’s worth noting and stressing at this stage that Isak – whose wish to leave Newcastle, when it broke on Thursday morning, was first revealed by our transfer insider Fraser Fletcher – still has a long way to go before he can force that move away.

However, with the player’s heart set on Liverpool, who made an initial enquiry for his services early last week, a new British record transfer appears to be in the works.

Despite his choice seemingly being Liverpool, PIF-owned Al-Hilal have now made a counter-move to try and keep the star out of Liverpool’s clutches by offering the striker a staggering £600,000 a week deal with bonuses on top, reports The Guardian.

However, despite that offer, the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope insists Isak has no intention of accepting that offer, with the player’s heart set on Merseyside.

Revealing how Newcastle will react and the price they are now likely to demand, Hope explained: “If Liverpool are going to do a deal this summer, they’re going to have to pay the money. They really are. There’s no, just because Isak wants to go, cheap deal to be done here.

“They’ve got to come up with that British record and then some. It’s got to be in the region of £150m [€171m, $201m]. If that happens, do I think we’d see a deal and Isak will move? Yes, I do. And I know that some of his teammates suspect that too.”

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Indeed, while Liverpool cannot compete with the Saudi wages, nor intend to do so, they are steeled by the fact that Isak now only wants to join them, and them only, should he leave this summer.

As a result, a British record offer is expected to arrive for the forward in a matter of days.

The timing of that is likely to give Newcastle more time to consider life after their talismanic superstar, with Fletcher revealing all summer that a move to Anfield – despite Newcastle’s insistence they don’t intend to sell and much to their chagrin and anger directed at our reporter from many of their supporters – was always possible this summer.

Now Hope has revealed the likely context of that opening offer.

“My information is that Liverpool are readying a British club record offer,” said the reporter. “Alexander Isak and his people know this, he’s at home on Tyneside nursing his thigh, but you guys read between the lines.”

He continued: “These are some of the conversations I’ve had this morning with people close to the situation,” Hope continues. “There is always a good time to sell a player and while the preference is to keep Alexander Isak, but Isak himself wants to move on, he doesn’t want to play in the UCL, he wants to win it.”

Hope continued: “I’m not going to sit on the fence here and I’m happy to be wrong, but do I think he will go? Yes, I think he probably will. A lot still needs to happen for that to be the case, but my latest information is that: Alexander Isak wants to go, Liverpool want him, they are readying a British record offer, even though that may involve selling one of [Luis] Diaz or [Darwin] Nunez. If that’s the case, Newcastle have a decision to make.

“They’d rather not sell and find a way to keep the player, but it might just make sense all round to do the deal. So, that’s where we are.”

Hope’s comments have also been backed up by the respected Paul Joyce, who wrote for The Times: ‘Once again: Alexander Isak wants Liverpool, it’s his priority as reported. No talks with Al Hilal, Chelsea or Manchester United.

‘When Liverpool contacted Newcastle at the start of last week to check on the availability of Isak, it has been suggested they proposed a deal worth £120m to £130m for the Sweden international.

‘Let’s consider Newcastle do buckle in the face of player power and agree to his departure — there is no certainty that the figures mentioned would be enough to then seal a deal. A fee of £150million has been mentioned.’

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Isak’s goalscoring record down the years