Barcelona’s sporting director Deco exploring the market for a new forward, favours Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak | OneFootball

Barcelona’s sporting director, Deco, is exploring the market for a new forward, and Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak is one of the players he favours, according to The Athletic.

The La Liga club prefer a forward who can play on the left-hand side as well as in a central position, and they believe the Magpies star is a perfect option as he has a suitable profile to how their manager Hansi Flick wants to play.

Isak has been frequently linked with leaving the St James’ Park club in the summer, with Arsenal, Liverpool and plenty of clubs reportedly interested in recruiting his services.

With 21 goals to his name across all competitions so far this term, the 25-year-old has attracted some of the bigwigs in England and across Europe, but there have been no indications that the Newcastle striker will agitate to move on at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Isak wants to be playing regularly in the Champions League, and while the Toons qualifying for it again will increase their prospects of retaining him, they want to hold on to him beyond the summer transfer window even if they fail to.

Doing so could prove tricky, and the potential fee the Magpies would demand for him is likely to be partly dictated by whether he pushes to leave.

Should Isak seek to leave amid interest from Barca and others, a compromise may have to be reached if his suitors cannot meet Newcastle’s asking price.

They are expected to demand a fee in excess of £100 million for his services, but whether the Catalans have the financial wherewithal to pull off such a deal remains to be seen given their current situation.

Other suitors could be willing to break the bank for the Swede, and Newcastle may need to finish in the top-four or end the campaign with a trophy to boost their chances of keeping their man.