Newcastle United are now ‘open’ to selling Alexander Isak to Liverpool this summer after ‘advancing’ in their efforts to sign Hugo Ekitike, according to reports.
Liverpool have been linked with Isak for most of last season as they eye up an improvement in attack with Darwin Nunez falling out of favour under Arne Slot.
And the Reds board are looking to back Slot with a move to a top striker after already providing him with the signings of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano exclusively revealed on Tuesday afternoon that Liverpool had made an ‘approach’ to Newcastle to sign Isak in a ‘record bid’.
Romano said: ‘EXCL: Liverpool made club to club approach with Newcastle to discuss record bid for Alexander Isak. If Isak won’t be available, Liverpool can enter Ekitike race. Decision up to Newcastle as they never wanted to sell Isak + offer new deal.’
It comes just a day after Romano also claimed that Newcastle have opened the bidding for Eintracht Frankfurt striker Ekitike, who is also attracting interest from Liverpool and Manchester United.
Romano wrote on X: ‘EXCL: Newcastle submitted an official bid today to Eintracht Frankfurt for Hugo Ekitike! Proposal higher than €70m previously offered by another club this summer with Newcastle pushing to get the deal done. Negotiations underway’.
While another transfer journalist, Ben Jacobs, had his own update, he wrote: ‘Newcastle United have sent a delegation to Germany to discuss terms with Hugo Ekitike as they push to secure the Frankfurt striker’s signature. Talks have begun with Frankfurt as well.
‘NUFC have waited until July to make a move due to the new financial year, and a belief Ekitike’s €100m price tag will drop later in the window. Ekitike has been on Newcastle’s radar since before he joined PSG in 2023.’
And now that revelation seems to have allowed Liverpool a chance of signing Isak after Newcastle had made it clear earlier in the summer that there was no chance of a sale after they qualified for the Champions League.
Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri claims that after considering him ‘unsellable in June’, Newcastle have ‘now opened up the possibility’ of Isak being sold to Liverpool this summer.
But he won’t go cheap, as Tavolieri revealed on X: ‘Things changed in the minds of Newcastle’s Saudis regarding Alexander Isak. Unsellable in June, the Magpies have now opened up the possibility of his departure after having advanced on Hugo Ekitike in recent hours. The price? £120 million. More to follow…’