The Newcastle United striker was one of Liverpool’s early targets this summer before the Premier League champions opted for Hugo Ekitike instead.
Isak had been on their radar and there was contact over a £120million deal. Yet Newcastle’s stance on keeping their star forward saw talks fizzle out.
Despite being open-minded about a potential move, Isak has never pushed aggressively for an exit. Yet he is now caught in a complicated situation. No transfer path has opened up and Newcastle have so far failed to meet his contract expectations.
At the heart of the issue is a significant gap between how Newcastle value him and what they are prepared to pay him.
They continue to brief that Isak is worth anything between £125million and £150million in the current market. Yet the Sweden international currently earns just over £100,000 a week.
His camp, aware of his value and the forward’s importance to the club, are understood to be pushing for wages of up to £300,000 a week to sign a new deal to stay on Tyneside.
Sources have revealed that Newcastle, for their part, are not willing to go beyond £200,000 a week at this stage.
Isak is contracted until 2028, and Newcastle are not under pressure to sell. However, they are beginning to explore attacking reinforcements again this window.
Ekitike and Joao Pedro were both on their list before agreeing to Liverpool and Chelsea respectively.
A £25million bid for Yoane Wissa has already been rejected by Brentford, who are reluctant to part with another key forward after selling Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United. The club had made a promise to new manager Keith Andrews that they would not lose both.
Newcastle are plotting another offer for Wissa but are also keeping tabs on RB Leipzig’s Lois Openda as a possible alternative.
There is also talk around Saudi interest in Isak. While the player is thought to be open to the idea, Newcastle may view a move outside the Premier League as more palatable than selling to a domestic rival. Still, their ideal scenario remains keeping him for the upcoming season.
For now, Isak is stuck in the middle. No major offer on the table, no agreement on a new contract - and a club that both rates him as elite but pays him below that level.
Something has to give.
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