LIVERPOOL are ready to smash the British transfer record to land Newcastle’s Swedish strike ace Alexander Isak.
The Anfield outfit have made formal contact with Toon chiefs to inform them they are willing to pay a stunning £120m to secure the signing of Isak, 25.
PAAlexander Isak has been Newcastle’s star man over the last two years[/caption]
Liverpool have reportedly contacted Newcastle over the availability of the Sweden internationalGETTY
Liverpool have not made a formal bid and in direct club to club talks said they would only progress the deal if the St James’ Park side are ready to do a deal.
Newcastle, who have seen a £69.5m bid for Frankfurt frontman Hugo Etitike turned down by the German side, made it clear they have no interest in selling Isak, who has scored 54 goals in 86 Prem appearances since his £63m arrival from Sociedad in 2022.
But while Isak has not pushed for the exit door so far, it is understood he would be keen on joining the champions.
And in a further statement of intent, Liverpool also threatened to hijack the Toon’s Etitike bid if they cannot get prime target Isak.
The dramatic move came as Liverpool REJECTED Bayern Munich’s initial £58.6m bid for Colombian winger Luis Diaz.
While they are trying to encourage a high-price auction between AC Milan and Saudi money-pots Al Hilal for Uruguayan Darwin Nunez.
But it is the stunning stepping up of the Reds’ long-term interest in Isak that has caught Newcastle on the hop, especially as boss Eddie Howe was they were looking to play France under-21 star Etitike alongside.
Liverpool chief Arne Slot has led the club’s mourning over the tragic loss of Portuguese star Diogo Jota following his car crash death earlier this month.
Slot and the Anfield hierarchy, though, are also aware that the start of the new Prem season is now less than a month away and that putting together a squad able to retain their crown is critical.
Newcastle are believed to value Isak at £150m, a sum that would be prohibitive even for Liverpool.
But a record-breaking bid, freeing up funds for Howe to bolster his squad ahead of a Champions League campaign in addition to the domestic demands, might make Toon bosses think again.
Frankfurt are willing to sell Etitike but their starting price is £85m, although there may be wriggle room for negotiations.
Liverpool’s response to Bayern’s Diaz offer – the German champions fear they will be without Jamal Musiala for the entire season after his horror leg break in the Club World Cup – was a flat rejection, although they are looking to offload Nunez.
SunSport understands Newcastle have told Liverpool Isak is not for sale at any price.
Isak is under contract until 2028 and talks over an improved package are still planned to take place over the coming weeks.
GETTYHugo Ekitike could end up in tug-of-war between the two sides[/caption]
We have to keep our strongest players and bring in more good players to make us stronger.”
Eddie Howe on Alexander Isak potentially leaving Newcastle
Sun Sport additionally understands there are fears within Newcastle that these developments are a deliberate ploy to try and unsettle Isak, who is in Austria on a pre-season training camp with Eddie Howe’s squad.
There have been no indications so far that he wants to leave but Toon will have to monitor the situation to try and ensure his head is not turned by Arne Slot’s side.
Isak looks set to play on Saturday when the Magpies travel to Celtic for a friendly.
Should a swoop for Isak fail to come to fruition, Liverpool will reportedly make a move for Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson.
But the Merseysiders could be put off by the west Londoners’ £100m valuation of the Senegal international.
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