Liverpool legend delivers Alexander Isak future claim Newcastle United fans will love

Speculation over Alexander Isak’s future at Newcastle United is nothing new for Magpies supporters.

The Sweden international has been an overwhelming success since moving to Tyneside in a club record £63m deal from La Liga club Real Sociedad in August 2022 and has cemented his reputation as one of the Premier League’s most deadly frontman.

After producing a solid return of 11 goals in 29 appearances during the first season at St James Park, Isak has impressed his output impressively throughout the last two seasons. After hitting 25 goals in 40 appearances last season, the former Borussia Dortmund striker took his tally to 27 goals in 40 games for the current campaign when he confidently dispatched a late penalty in Sunday’s hard-earned draw at Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion.

That has led to speculation linking Isak with a move to some of European football’s biggest clubs - although Newcastle’s focus during the summer is believed to be on extending their top goalscorer’s current deal, which runs until the summer of 2028, rather than entertaining any offers for the striker. Arsenal and Liverpool have been repeatedly named as potential suitors for the 52-times capped Sweden international - but one former Anfield favourite has urged the latter of that duo to turn their attention elsewhere and make an alternative move for another Premier League striker.

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler believes his old club would baulk at United’s demands of a fee well in excess of £100m for Isak and called on the Reds to look to tempt Aston Villa into the sale of England international Ollie Watkins.

He told the i Paper: "It’s a difficult one because as a supporter, you want them to sign every player under the sun. If you’re not signing players, you risk potentially going backwards. Maybe [Darwin] Nunez will be a name on a few teams’ lists because he hasn’t played the amount of games he’d want to, so you assume Liverpool will try to bring a No 9.

"The problem is clubs know that they are potentially on the lookout for a number nine, so the prices will become silly. If you look at [Alexander] Isak, he’s going to be £100m plus easily. He’s a wonderful player, but Liverpool may not want to pay that, and they’ll look around. You could look at Ollie Watkins. He doesn’t really fit the model in terms of what Liverpool want, given his age [29 years old], but I’d go and get him for a couple of years because he’s a tremendous player and established and experienced in the Premier League."

What has Eddie Howe said about Alexander Isak’s future at Newcastle United?

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s draw at Brighton, Howe said of Isak: "He's not for sale from my perspective. I want to build a squad, I want the strongest squad possible for next season. There is a lot to look forward to here, hopefully. The end of the season is crucial for us. I think that we have a strong squad and, if we can add players for the first time in a few windows, that will make a massive, massive difference for us. That's what I'm focusing on, not the other way around.

"We want to keep our best players. I think I've made that very clear. That's not just the wish from me, that's the wish from everyone at the club. I don't have a crystal ball. I can't sit here and say what's going to happen. I can only say what my determination is, and that's to build a team, the best team possible and to do that you can't consistently lose your best players."

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