Liverpool Football Club are set to make a move for Alexander Isak this summer. They are preparing for a major reshuffle in their attacking corps. With Darwin Nunez reported to be on the way to Al Hilal, the club are in need of a new attacker. The interest comes at a time when Isak, currently with Newcastle United, has expressed a desire to explore new options.
Liverpool are believed to have submitted an opening offer of £110 million, rising with add-ons, for the Swedish striker. This bid has been below the required Newcastle asking price, reported at £150 million. Their final offer for Isak was well under £120 million. That would indicate that negotiations have gone at least somewhat off the rails.
Isak’s Current Situation
Alexander Isak’s situation with Newcastle has recently become quite complicated. Reports suggest that both he and his agent informed the club months ago about their intention to seek a move away. That feeling has certainly been amplified after the recent transfer activity of Newcastle, as well as Arsenal and Liverpool, who both brought in new forwards.
Former Liverpool defender and current pundit Jamie Carragher has weighed in, hiding behind the robes of academic research that he seemingly hadn’t ever read. He highlighted Isak’s past frustrations, stating, “I look at Isak, he’s obviously thrown his toys out of the pram once Arsenal and Liverpool signed a striker. From him and his agent’s point of view, did they not tell Newcastle months ago that they wanted to move on? It just seems a little bit messy.”
Carragher’s comments highlight just how precarious the landscape is, as Isak will now have to chart his course to avoid getting lost in a burgeoning field of attackers.
Liverpool’s Strategy
The Reds have just signed Hugo Ekitike for £80 million on the dot. He’ll give them an interesting, and reliable, potential backup option in their attacking arsenal. Ekitike’s versatility allows him to play as a No 9, which could alleviate some pressure from Liverpool’s pursuit of Isak. Carragher has been the most high-profile critic of this approach.
“It will be an amazing signing. From a Liverpool fan point of view, I don’t want the club to spend £150m on Isak,” he stated. But beneath this debate lies a common sentiment. If Liverpool do break the bank to sign Isak, it would mean that they’d already spent big on Ekitike.
Additionally, Carragher noted the peculiar nature of Liverpool spending substantial money on a backup player while still pursuing top-tier talent like Isak. I may well be able to conjure up the idea that he was Liverpool’s No 1 target but there’s just something about Liverpool buying a striker [Ekitike] for £80m and he’s a back-up. But there is just something about it that really doesn’t sit right to me.
The Road Ahead
As the walk continues with Liverpool through this all-important summer transfer window, the game is still very much afoot. With Newcastle still on the lookout for a backup to Callum Wilson, it would be even more complicated if Isak were to leave. The coming weeks will likely see developments as Liverpool seeks to finalize their attacking strategy while managing their budget effectively.
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