Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has predicted that Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak will join Liverpool this summer, with negotiations reportedly ongoing for over a year.
The Reds have been linked with an interest in the Swedish international, with recent reports revealing that Isak did not accompany Newcastle on their pre-season tour of Asia.
It has also emerged that the striker has requested to explore transfer opportunities elsewhere this summer.
However, Newcastle are said to be holding firm on their valuation, demanding a fee in excess of £150million to let Isak leave.
This comes shortly after Liverpool confirmed the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike.
With the anticipated departures of Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa, alongside ongoing interest in Luis Diaz, Liverpool remain active in the market for attacking reinforcements before the transfer window closes. Isak is believed to be a top target on their list.
“I can only see Alexander Isak joining Liverpool if he does leave Newcastle, which is now expected,” he wrote in his column for CaughtOffside.
“I think this has been something that’s been ongoing probably for 12 months or more. I think the expectation from Newcastle was that it was going to be next season that other clubs were going to bid.
“A lot of fans will want him to be sold abroad, but it doesn’t work like that. If the player says that they’re going to down tools unless you let me go to this specific club, it’s very, very difficult for the club.”
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