Liverpool's bid rejected, Alexander Isak stuck at Newcastle

LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY - Liverpool's dream of acquiring Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak is becoming increasingly distant from reality. Liverpool's initial offer and Newcastle's valuation remain significantly apart. Newcastle also wishes to find a replacement for Isak first before selling the striker.

Newcastle, according to The Athletic, rejected a £120 million (Rp 2.6 trillion) bid from Liverpool on Friday (August 1, 2025) WIB. It was Liverpool's first offer after making an informal approach several weeks ago, just before signing young striker Hugo Ekitike.

Newcastle is not affected by Isak's firm decision to move to Liverpool. The 25-year-old player did not participate in the club's pre-season tour to Asia. He is training separately with his former club, Real Sociedad. Newcastle is reluctant to allow Isak to transfer if the offer remains below 150 million pounds.

Newcastle coach Eddie Howe stated that Isak will soon return to training with his teammates in the near future. "He is still our player. He is under contract with us. We control what will happen to him in the future. I hope he will stay for the next season," he said.

Newcastle is not in a desperate situation as Isak is still under contract for the next three years. They are even still persuading the Swedish national team striker to extend and increase the value of his contract. One of the promises made by the club is the inclusion of a release clause for the next summer.

However, Isak still has not changed his mind. He is ambitious to move to the team coached by Arne Slot. The question mark now points to Liverpool. Will they make a higher offer? Meanwhile, "The Reds" have already acquired a new striker and spent nearly 300 million pounds in this transfer window.

Slot had previously expressed optimism. According to him, Liverpool will continue to be active in the transfer market as long as there are players who can enhance the quality of the squad. "If there is an opportunity, we will not hesitate to bring in new players. Ultimately, it is all about the quality of the players," he said.

According to transfer specialist journalist Fabrizio Romano, Isak's move will be greatly influenced by the presence of a replacement player. As is known, Newcastle is struggling to find a new striker. They are approaching RB Leipzig player Benjamin Sesko, but must compete with Manchester United.

The need for substitute players is becoming increasingly complex due to the limited availability of world-class forwards in the current market. Newcastle also requires a comparable replacement to remain competitive in the Champions League next season. One of the forwards that Newcastle had previously made an offer for, Ekitike, has already been signed by Liverpool.

For Isak, the worst-case scenario is to remain at Newcastle until the summer transfer window closes. He has indeed been regarded as a club hero after leading Newcastle to victory in the English League Cup last season. That trophy was the first for the club in the last 56 years.

However, Isak is beginning to lose the respect of Newcastle fans. He seems to have forgotten his words after the championship. The tall striker stated that he loves the club and intends to write a lot of history together in the future. Just a few months after that, he actually wants to change clubs.

"He's been looked after very well by Newcastle. He still has three years left on his contract, and we were open to giving him a pay rise. But to see him change his mind is disappointing. It's understandable that the fans are frustrated because we should have a very good core team next season," former Newcastle defender Steve Howey told BBC Sport.

Isak is one of the best strikers in the English League over the past two seasons. He consistently scored at least 20 goals in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Only Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been able to achieve the same feat as Isak. This is what has made him a target for many major clubs this summer.

Isak was brought in by Newcastle from Sociedad in mid-June 2022 for a fee of 60 million pounds. At that time, Isak was 22 years old and considered a potential striker. He had not yet become the goal-scoring machine he is today. Thanks to Newcastle's support, he has grown into a major star. (AP/AFP)