Alexander Isak and the difficult choice Newcastle must make | OneFootball

For Newcastle United, no news was good news. There was gossip, much of it tedious and tiresome, but no concrete developments when it came to Alexander Isak. They could reflect on Arsenal’s choice between Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko with some satisfaction: it is no secret that Isak has admirers at the Emirates Stadium but the Gunners accepted they could not get a forward who often scores against them.

The prospect, whether more of a possibility than a probability, of an offer from Liverpool would alter that. Any such bid would bring a decision that would define Newcastle’s summer; their season, too. For now, what can be said is that there has been no direct contact between the clubs. Newcastle’s stance has long been that Isak is not for sale, though Liverpool’s similar position when it comes to Luis Diaz has not stopped Bayern Munich from bidding for the Colombian.

What can also be assumed is that the fee would be colossal; Florian Wirtz’s status as Liverpool’s record signing may only last for a few weeks, while Andy Carroll’s as Newcastle’s record sale, which has stood since his 2011 move to Anfield, may finally be gone. Carroll cost a then British record £35m. Some would say Isak’s value is such that you should add a “1” in front of that.

There was some bemusement at St James’ Park a few months ago when £150m seemed the quoted number; Newcastle argued they had never put a price on their top scorer. Now there are mentions of £120m. Should anyone submit such a proposal, it ought to prompt a discussion.

For all Isak’s sleek brilliance, it could be a one-off opportunity to make such an amount. He has three years left on his contract; reach next summer and when he enters the last 24 months of his deal – presuming he does not renew in the meantime – the price could begin to go down. Newcastle had to sell frantically to avoid breaching PSR last year. They have fewer worries now, but a huge profit on a man who cost £63m, much of it since amortised, would end all concerns.

It would also facilitate a vast outlay. As it is, Newcastle have already bought Anthony Elanga for £52m this summer. Their pursuit of goalkeeper James Trafford has continued. They offered a club-record sum of £70m for Hugo Ekitike, which Eintracht Frankfurt declined. Sell Isak and, together with Newcastle’s existing budget, there would presumably be scope to afford Ekitike, for a raised bid, a back-up striker, Trafford and the right-sided centre-back that has long been on the agenda.

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Newcastle striker Alexander Isak has been linked with a move to Arsenal or Liverpool (PA Wire)

But there is a counterargument. Joao Pedro and Bryan Mbeumo are examples of players who spurned interest from Tyneside; there is no guarantee they will land their major targets. Meanwhile, selling Isak, even for Ekitike, would automatically bring a downgrade in attack; it would be hard to replicate the 25-year-old’s return of 21 and 23 goals in the last two Premier League campaigns.

For now, Newcastle are in the enviable position of owning one of the world’s best strikers. Isak may be still more coveted because some of the others are unobtainable, in Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe. Others still are considerably older, in Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski. It helps, too, that without committing the rest of his career to Newcastle, he has not agitated to leave.

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Liverpool are considering a move for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak (PA Wire)

With Isak, and a formidably strong starting 11 – some of Newcastle’s business is about adding depth, whether Elanga immediately displaces Jacob Murphy or Trafford consigns Nick Pope to the bench – next season is shaping up as an opportunity. Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City represent the top tier of favourites, but it is not impossible to envisage a title challenge from Newcastle. With a match winner of the calibre of Isak, it is also very possible they would go further in the Champions League than without him. Or, having waited decades for a trophy, they could win two in as many years.

It is also pertinent that Newcastle’s rise has been built on continuity. Whereas Aston Villa, fellow gatecrashers of the Champions League party, had success with a revolving-door transfer policy, Newcastle kept their crown jewels, retaining players such as Bruno Guimaraes and Isak at the expense of making new signings. It suits Eddie Howe’s approach; there is a sense of a group of players with an affinity to each other and the cause.

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Newcastle have had a bid for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike rejected (Getty Images)

The bid for Ekitike, who has certain similarities to Isak, added intrigue. The likelihood is they could play together, but it is easy to see the Frenchman as the Swede’s successor.

But not if Ekitike stays at Frankfurt or, as another on Liverpool’s radar, goes to Anfield, or Isak remains on Tyneside. Because, for now, much of it is still hypothetical. Liverpool rarely bid unless they are certain to get the player (Martin Zubimendi and Moises Caicedo are rare exceptions). They also have a sporting director, Richard Hughes, who worked closely with Howe at Bournemouth, so there are lines of communication if required. And if so, the test will be if the message stays the same, that Isak isn’t going anywhere.