Respected journalist Craig Hope has delivered a significant update on Liverpool’s pursuit of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.
Isak has been linked with a switch to Anfield throughout the summer, with Liverpool having made early enquiries into his availability earlier this month.
The situation escalated dramatically on Thursday when *The Athletic* revealed that Isak had formally requested to leave Newcastle—a major development in the ongoing transfer saga.
That news came shortly after Liverpool confirmed the signing of Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, adding even more intrigue to their transfer plans.
Despite spending over £200 million already this summer, Liverpool have been able to partially balance the books, including by offloading Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid in a £10 million deal.
Most recently, **BBC Sport** reported on Sunday that Bayern Munich had agreed a £65.5 million fee with Liverpool for Luis Díaz, freeing up more funds for the club to potentially seal a move for Isak.
With Díaz set to leave, Liverpool may now not only have the financial flexibility to chase Isak but also the motivation to bring in a high-profile attacker to replace the Colombian.
Writing for the *Daily Mail*, north-east football expert Craig Hope revealed that Newcastle are “braced” for an official offer from Liverpool. While the Magpies are reluctant to sell one of their top stars, there is said to be internal disagreement at the club over whether they should entertain offers or refuse to sell at all.
Isak, who netted 23 Premier League goals last season—second only to Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah—was not included in Newcastle’s pre-season tour of South Korea, with the club citing a minor thigh injury.
His absence from the tour has sparked further speculation over his future, with questions now being asked about whether he has already played his final match for Newcastle.
With Harvey Barnes next on Newcastle’s scoring chart last season with just nine goals, losing Isak would present a massive challenge for Eddie Howe’s team going forward.
