“I’d never give a guarantee” Newcastle Unsure Liverpool Target Isak Will Travel For Tour | OneFootball

Isak’s Wage Stand-off Leaves Liverpool Watching with Interest

Wage demands push Newcastle into awkward position

Newcastle United have a dilemma on their hands and it wears the No.14 shirt. According to TalkSport’s Alex Crook and Joe Moore, Alexander Isak is demanding a new deal worth £300,000 per week, a figure that would thrust him into the Premier League’s elite earners bracket. In return, he’s offering goals, 62 in 109 games, and the kind of movement and instinct that only top-tier forwards possess.

Isak’s current deal still has three years left to run, yet there’s a growing sense on Tyneside that the Swedish striker knows his value. And while Newcastle had been preparing to offer a healthy increase to £180,000 per week, the new demand has come as something of a shock internally. It’s left the club hierarchy caught off guard, contemplating whether to shatter their wage structure or risk unsettling their biggest star.

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“Newcastle continue to insist that Isak is ‘not for sale’,” reads a line from Luke Edwards’ report in The Telegraph, but football doesn’t always operate on proclamations. The reality is often more pragmatic, especially when your top scorer begins to flirt with possibilities elsewhere.

Howe unable to shut down speculation

Eddie Howe has done well to manage the headlines around his top players. But this time, he seems to be on the back foot. Isak was left out of the side beaten 4-0 by Celtic in pre-season, and when asked about it, Howe admitted, “He’s part of our squad. At this moment in time, I expect him to come. I’d never give a guarantee about anybody [staying] because I’ve been in football long enough to know I could end up looking silly.”

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The message is clear. Howe hopes Isak stays. But in football, hope is not a plan.

Complicating matters further is the club’s recent history. Former sporting director Paul Mitchell reportedly refused to open talks on a new deal, believing Isak was already well rewarded. That decision has since ruffled feathers in the player’s camp, and Mitchell’s exit has not helped settle things. Instead, the forward’s agents have been issuing veiled comments that do little to reassure Newcastle that their man is all in.

Liverpool watching and waiting

Liverpool’s name has been tethered to Isak all summer, and while any serious pursuit seems to be parked following the expected arrival of Hugo Ekitike, the admiration remains.

It’s no secret that Arne Slot appreciates mobile, high-IQ strikers who can press, drop in and finish. Isak ticks every box. His intelligence off the ball, deft touch and composure in tight spaces mark him out as a natural fit in Liverpool’s evolving front line. And given that Fabrizio Romano has claimed Isak is “refusing to close the door” on a move to Anfield, there’s every reason to believe Liverpool’s interest is far from over.

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That said, the club have already committed serious funds to secure Ekitike. And with FSG’s well-documented adherence to squad balance and wage structure, it’s unlikely they’d match or exceed Isak’s £300,000-per-week demands. But Liverpool have been here before. They’ve waited patiently for the right opening, with Virgil van Dijk, with Alisson, with Darwin Nunez, and they’ll do so again if the prize is worth it.

Long-term decisions approaching for both clubs

Newcastle’s strategy in the next few months will be critical. Either they meet Isak’s demands and crown him as their financial figurehead, or they risk unsettling a striker who already knows his stock is rising among Europe’s elite. The Champions League qualification last season bought them some breathing room, but elite players want guarantees, not only of wages but of trajectory.

If Newcastle choose to hold firm and delay a new deal, suitors will circle. If they over-extend to keep him, the knock-on effect could be severe when it comes to managing expectations within the squad.

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Liverpool, meanwhile, can afford to be opportunistic. They’ve added youth and potential in Ekitike, but Isak represents something more established, more proven. Whether this is a smokescreen to bump up the player’s value or a genuine indication of movement, the reality is that Liverpool are once again in the conversation for a game-changing forward.

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Supporters will be split on this one. There’s no doubt Isak’s talent is exceptional. His goal record at Newcastle has been superb, but what really stands out is his ability to lead the line with grace and authority. He’s got pace, sharp feet, a cool head in front of goal and a work ethic that suits the Liverpool system.

But there are questions. Is he worth £300,000 a week? Probably not in the current FSG model. That sort of deal throws off the internal structure and creates ripple effects that are difficult to manage. Mohamed Salah, the club’s best player in a generation, is barely north of that figure. If Isak were to arrive on such terms, it would pose serious dressing room and financial challenges.

Ekitike is the safer play for now, but fans can’t ignore the lure of seeing Isak in red. He has that aura, that next-level potential. If Newcastle fumble negotiations and Liverpool are in a position next summer with a more flexible wage budget, this could resurface. For now, it’s one to monitor. But the thought of a forward line featuring Isak, Ekitike, Diaz and Salah should get pulses racing across Merseyside.