What needs to happen for Liverpool to seal Alexander Isak transfer after £77m twist

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But with just four days left of the window, there is still so much uncertainty over Alexander Isak's long-term future.

Liverpool have made the Sweden international their No.1 target after selling Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez but Newcastle United are determined to keep hold of the player who has scored 44 Premier League goals in his last two campaigns on Tyneside.

Isak has established himself as one of the most deadly frontmen in the Premier League during his time in the North East but has made it clear he now sees his future away from St James' Park and has not played in either of their two fixtures this season, which included Monday's night remarkable 3-2 win for Arne Slot's Reds.



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Here, the ECHO examines the current state of play, how it has come to this and what needs to happen for a British transfer record to be completed before the September 1 deadline.

July 14: Isak is confirmed as having flown with the team to Newcastle's pre-season training camp in Austria.

July 15: Reports emerge that Liverpool have contacted the Magpies making clear they are willing to pay £120m for Isak.

July 19: Isak plays no part in 4-0 friendly defeat to Celtic.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe says he "respects that a player's career is short".

July 24: Isak is left off the club's pre-season tour of Singapore and South Korea, with minor groin injury cited.

Late July: Isak returns to training by using the facilities of former club, Real Sociedad.

August 1: Liverpool see £110m bid rejected.

Isak is reportedly at St James' Park to watch on but plays no part.

Having seen sporting director Paul Mitchell leave after a year at the club in July, recruitment work is being overseen by Eddie Howe's nephew, Andy, and it has so far proven to be a baptism of fire.

Joao Pedro and Liam Delap both chose Chelsea, the former after a breakthrough had been made with Brighton, before Liverpool nudged ahead of the Magpies for Hugo Ekitikein July, signing the France Under-21 international for £79m after Newcastle had a bid around £70m turned down prior to the Reds' move.

Benjamin Sesko had been viewed as the blue-chip replacement at £73m from RB Leipzig but the Slovenia international was also courted by Manchester United and eventually opted for Old Trafford over St James' Park.

The ongoing efforts to bolster the attacking ranks after Anthony Elanga's addition go on for Newcastle, who have endured a very difficult summer.

Newcastle have been chasing Yoane Wissa at Brentford all summer but, like Liverpool with Isak, have so far been met resistance from the west Londoners, despite the forward's unwillingness to turn out presently at the Gtech Community Stadium.

That deal drags on but the Magpies have also seen two bids rejected for Wolverhampton Wanderers' Jorgen Strand Larsen.

An initial £50m offer was turned down before a return at £55m was also rebuffed, despite the Norwegian reportedly making it clear he sees his future at St James' Park.

At the time of writing, the North East club are awaiting a major breakthrough on both deals and have been linked with a loan move for Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson, who is keen to leave Stamford Bridge.

But last night (August 28), it emerged that Newcastle had struck an agreement worth a reported £77m for Stuttgart's Germany Under-21 striker Nick Woltemade.

The forward is said to be set for a Friday medical after a deal was reached in what represents a major breakthrough for the Magpies' recruitment department.

Landing two of those four targets might be the key that unlocks this stalemate.

Key figures at Liverpool have been careful to avoid speaking publicly or privately on this particular situation, feeling their input only amplifies what is already an unhealthy amount of noise in their efforts to land a top striker.

The Reds tabled a flat offer of £110m at the start of August having reportedly told their counterparts they would be willing to bid £120m about three weeks earlier.

That bid, oddly, has been criticised by some as a derisory opening gambit, despite the fact that no other footballer in British football has ever gone for a fee that high without add-ons.

The Reds gauging the temperature of Newcastle’s emphatic response, have since kept their counsel and stepped away, awaiting further encouragement to return to the negotiating table.

Newcastle’s reply has been interpreted by some as a need to secure replacements before they reluctantly acquiesce to the demands of Isak.

Prior to Isak’s inflammatory public statement, via his Instagram story, it’d been suggested by some familiar with the Newcastle operation that an agreement might eventually be found at £130m.

Liverpool's month-long waiting game goes on, for now.

"I think the story should be about Hugo Ekitike scoring another goal for us,” Slot said when asked directly about Isak on Monday evening.

That is the answer, yes, I'm happy."

That question came after the Liverpool head coach had been asked about the Isak pursuit in his open press conference, to which he replied: "What I can tell you is not a lot.