Yasir Al-Rumayyan has already made Alexander Isak Newcastle United transfer demand ahead of Liverpool meeting
Yasir Al-Rumayyan is set to be in attendance for Newcastle United v Liverpool at St James’ Park.
It’s Newcastle’s first home match of the season and one that the eyes of world football will be on given the transfer drama surrounding the two clubs and Alexander Isak this summer.
Isak will not be involved in the match on Monday evening as his strike at Newcastle continues in a bid to force a move to Liverpool. The Reds have had a £110million bid rejected by Newcastle for Isak already this summer.
The striker released a statement confirming his desire to leave Newcastle in the week leading up to the match. But Newcastle responded that the conditions that would have facilitated a sale have not been made with the striker now expected to stay on Tyneside.
The situation could still change if Newcastle are able to sign two strikers in the final week of the transfer window, though it’s unlikely.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan returns to Newcastle United amid transfer drama
Newcastle chairman and PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan has returned to Tyneside for his first match since the 2-1 Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool at Wembley Stadium back in March.
His most recent St James’ Park match was a 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest in February.
Al-Rumayyan’s return this time around is a timely one heading into the final week of the transfer window and the Liverpool clash.
Newcastle are still on the hunt for a striker with Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jorgen Strand Larsen top targets. But both players are viewed as potential replacements for Callum Wilson, who left at the start of the summer.
Al-Rumayyan has already made his stance clear when it comes to Isak.
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Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s Alexander Isak transfer stance
Following Newcastle’s Carabao Cup success over Liverpool back in March, Al-Rumayyan made it clear to those behind the scenes that Isak would not be sold at any price.
That stance may have softened slightly with Newcastle at least exploring the possibility of selling Isak this summer as they have pursued potential replacements in the transfer window. But after failing in their pursuits of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Benjamin Sesko and Hugo Ekitike, the club released a statement which read: “As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired.
“We do not foresee those conditions being met.”
Newcastle chief executive officer Darren Eales also stressed that the club would be ‘crazy’ to consider selling a top player such as Isak.
Speaking in March, Eales said: “We've got that wish and desire to keep our key players, they're all under long-term contracts. So from that perspective, we have no intention at all of those players being moved on, and we're not under the gun or anything like that.
“We've got an ownership that is ambitious, wants the best for the club. So from that perspective, it'd be crazy for us to consider [selling].
“[Isak] has multi years left so all of these things, we will have the [contract] discussions in terms of a new deal just like we did with, whether it’s Joelinton, Bruno [Guimaraes] or Anthony Gordon.”