Liverpool deal for Newcastle star is ‘doable’ despite Ekitike deal; PL side ‘open to offers’ for Reds target

A potential Alexander Isak transfer to Liverpool is ‘doable’ this summer despite the imminent signing of Hugo Ekitike, according to reports.

The Reds have been making further strides in the transfer market this week after agreeing a deal to bring Ekitike to Anfield from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Ekitike is in Liverpool completing a deal with part of his medical completed yesterday and now it’s only a matter of time before the deal is announced officially.

The Liverpool board have already backed Arne Slot in the transfer market this summer, with the signings of Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, after the Dutchman won the Premier League title in his first season at the club.

Newcastle United striker Isak was understood to be their top target this summer with the Reds approaching the Magpies over a deal and made it clear they would be willing to pay £120m to sign the Sweden international.

However, Newcastle are adamant they want to hang onto Isak this summer after qualifying for the Champions League by finishing fifth in the Premier League last term.

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Transfer journalist Graeme Bailey has given Liverpool fans a glimmer of hope that Isak could still arrive this summer with a deal still “doable” if Newcastle change their stance.

Bailey told Rousing The Kop: “Liverpool aren’t going away. If there’s a chance of getting him, Liverpool are going to be there. I think the approach was more to say to Isak and Newcastle, ‘don’t forget, we are here and ready to make our move’. That was intrinsically behind it.

“If Liverpool think it’s doable, a bid could go in, it’s not beyond the realms of fantasy. They’ve already come in and made it clear they’ll pay £120m, so it’s already a bid in everything but name.”

Arsenal journalist Charles Watts insists he “wouldn’t rule out” Isak leaving for Liverpool still this summer but that the Gunners “weren’t ever going to be in the running” for the Newcastle star this summer.

Watts wrote in his Caught Offside column: ‘There was a lot of talk amongst Arsenal fans about Alexander Isak when news emerged of Liverpool officially contacting Newcastle about the striker.

‘We know Isak has always been at the top of Mikel Arteta’s list. If he could have clicked his fingers this summer and made a striker appear in front of him, it would have been the Newcastle striker.

‘But the fact is that was not a deal that was ever going to be realistic for Arsenal. They knew that so there was no point wasting time exploring it.

‘Given the amount of additions they wanted to make, they just did not have the capability of putting down the sort of number that would have made Newcastle even contemplate selling.

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‘Whether Liverpool can remains to be seen. You would think not, given the money they have spent on Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, but the way the champions are spending at the moment you wouldn’t rule it out.

‘But Arsenal just weren’t ever going to be in the running for Isak this summer.

‘Maybe they would have had a slight chance had Newcastle failed to qualify for the Champions League, but even then it would have been doubtful.

‘The finances involved were just too big. Spending that amount on just one player would have made it extremely difficult to bolster the other areas in the squad that needed filling.’

Liverpool have received another boost in the transfer market too with GiveMeSport claiming that Crystal Palace are now ‘open to offers’ for centre-back Marc Guehi this summer.

The England international has emerged as the Reds’ top target at centre-back this summer as Slot looks for more depth to cover Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.

It ‘has now emerged that the player is keen to move on, and Palace are now welcoming offers as they look to cash in rather than lose him for nothing next summer’ and a ‘move to Anfield has looked the most likely so far this summer’.