Newcastle dressing room's thoughts on Alexander Isak as Anthony Gordon risks backlash

Newcastle players are all thinking the same thing about Alexander Isak with the 25-year-old angling for a move to Liverpool. The Reds have been chasing his signature for a number of weeks and firmed up their interest on Friday. They reportedly submitted an opening offer but saw their proposal immediately turned down by the Magpies.

Liverpool are now thought to be preparing a second bid, which they hope will be enough to tempt Newcastle into doing business. They are said to value their man at around £150million with the initial offer falling in the region of £120m plus add-ons. Isak is reportedly desperate to leave St James' Park, having ventured to Spain to prepare for the season at Real Sociedad's training ground.

He was left out of the Newcastle squad which travelled to Asia for games against Arsenal, Tottenham and a K-League XI. Express Sport understands the mood in the dressing room is one of genuine sadness at how the situation is panning out.

Anthony Gordon, who himself was linked with a move to Liverpool last summer, has risked a backlash among Newcastle supporters by expressing his sympathy with Isak.

He said: "I feel for Alex. It's difficult and he will be going through a lot. I hope everyone gets what they want in the end."

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Only time will tell how the situation plays out, with the move dependent on Liverpool finding a breakthrough in talks with Newcastle. Personal terms are not expected to be a problem, given that Isak is already said to have agreed a long-term deal.

It is claimed that he will sign a contract until the summer of 2031 if the Reds succeed in agreeing a transfer fee. They are reportedly keen to make Isak one of their highest-paid players, earning a similar salary to that of Hugo Ekitike.

The latter, who joined Liverpool last month, is reportedly taking home around £250,000 per week. It puts him third on their list of highest earners, behind only Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

Liverpool's interest in Isak could also depend on whether Newcastle can sign an adequate replacement. They are chasing a move for RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko but face being beaten to his signature by Manchester United.

They were also interested in Ekitike before Liverpool swooped in to land him for themselves. Earlier in the window, the Magpies missed out on deals for Liam Delap and Joao Pedro and have seen a bid rejected for Brentford forward Yoane Wissa.

It remains to be seen if there will be a swift resolution to the saga, with Liverpool preparing to accelerate their pursuit of Isak over the coming days.

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