Alexander Isak eyes Newcastle exit with Liverpool monitoring situation

Alexander Isak wants to explore options at other clubs and a transfer away from Newcastle United, potentially throwing Eddie Howe’s summer plans into chaos.

The 25-year-old was not included in last week's friendly defeat to Celtic due to "speculation" around his future, and has now not travelled to Singapore for pre-season due to a thigh injury.

Newcastle have been made aware that Isak is keen to consider his future elsewhere.

The Independent understands that Howe had already privately told prominent figures at the club this summer that he was concerned about the player's situation.

That view also precedes reports of Liverpool's public interest last week.

Newcastle's position remains the same, however, which is that Isak is not for sale. Their stance has also been bolstered by the fact that he still has three years left on his current contract. There are also no ongoing talks over a new deal.

An offer in the region of £150m may test that, though, especially with the knowledge that the player wants to consider his options.

The big question, however, is where such an offer comes from. There are only about eight clubs that could afford such a deal, but almost none of them have the PSR headroom or squad need to make it happen.

Liverpool have just spent £79m on Hugo Ekitike, a deal that had been linked to Isak's future given Newcastle's own interest in the French forward.

That feasibly rules them out of a future move, although there is the potential twist should Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz leave. Liverpool do have PSR headroom but want to ensure they have a sustainable squad with a manageable wage bill. Bayern Munich have spoken to Liverpool about Diaz, but it has not yet reached the point of an offer.

Liverpool’s current stance is that they are comfortable with their options at centre-forward and feel they have their number-nine in Ekitike, but a move for Isak this window has not been ruled out.

Mikel Arteta has long been an admirer of the Swede, and would have love to do a deal, but it is seen as virtually impossible that Arsenal's Kroenke ownership will extend the budget.

The club are also on the brink of signing Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres for less than half of Isak's anticipated price.

Chelsea have now ruled out a move, despite previous interest in Isak, and representing one of the few clubs with the available budget. Any move for Isak would have also required a deviation from recent targets, as they continue to pursue moves for Xavi Simons and Jarrel Hato.

While virtually every club sees Isak as an outstanding talent, there is some doubt about whether £150m is worth it for a player who has recently struggled to consistently play in full European schedules without injury.