After being handed the encouragement they so desperately craved to pursue Alexander Isak, Liverpool could now reportedly see their big-money raid funded by one player’s departure – and it’s not Luis Diaz.
Alexander Isak asks to leave Newcastle
The line all summer long has been that if Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes believe there is a chance, they will go for Isak. In recent months, however, it looked as though that chance would not arrive. The Reds instead welcomed Hugo Ekitike, stealing Newcastle’s top target in the process, and had seemingly solved their striker problem.
Since the Frenchman’s arrival though, there’s been an almighty twist. In a matter of days, Isak’s thigh injury quickly transformed into a desire to leave Newcastle this summer as the real reason why he didn’t join the Magpies on their Asia tour became clear. Now, the ball is in Liverpool’s court as they look to fund another big-money move and take their spending beyond the £300m-mark this summer.
There will be question marks over how Liverpool would play both Ekitike and Isak, but those are questions that Arne Slot would rather see answered in reality rather than in mere fantasy teams.
On paper, Florian Wirtz, Isak, Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong represent Liverpool’s greatest-ever transfer window. On the pitch, meanwhile, it could yet take the Reds to a second-consecutive Premier League title.
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There’s still a long way to go before Isak is a Liverpool player, however. Before then, those at Anfield must work their magic in the transfer window and fund what would be the deal of the summer.
Saudi giants now discussing Nunez move
One way they could fund their move is by selling a player who’s looked likely to depart all summer long. According to transfer reporter Ben Jacobs, Al Hilal are now holding internal talks about signing Darwin Nunez at the request of manager Simone Inzaghi. The struggling forward is likely to cost the Saudi side more €70m (£61m) after Liverpool turned down such a fee to sell Nunez back in January.
As reported by The Athletic, the Isak package could cost as much as £250m with agent fees and other add-ons, which should make the sale of Nunez a top priority for Liverpool.
The forward endured greater struggles than ever at Anfield last season and now finds himself even further down the pecking order after Ekitike’s arrival. As such, it goes without saying that if Liverpool sign Isak, it would be the nail in the coffin for Nunez’s time in Merseyside.
