As Liverpool target Alexander Isak asks to explore a move away from Newcastle United, here's where his wage demands would place him in the Premier League's top earners list
Alexander Isak has asked Newcastle United to leave - and turned down a new contract offer at St James's Park.
The striker has told the Magpies he wants to explore a move away from the club. He continues to be on Liverpool's radar - despite the champions' £79million signing of Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt - with the Reds open to breaking the British transfer record with a potential £125m move.
It was confirmed on Thursday morning that Isak will miss Newcastle's pre-season trip to Asia with what has been described as a minor thigh issue. But Isak is looking at his options. Amid speculation over his future, Eddie Howe chose to send the Swede home from the pre-season game at Celtic last weekend.
Isak's representative, Gonzalo Gaitan, revealed recently that he is "studying and analysing all options." He told Saudi publication Arriyadiyah: "We may be close to finalising the next step for the player. Without revealing any details regarding whether Isak will transfer or stay with Newcastle."
Discussions regarding a fresh Newcastle contract for Isak have been ongoing. His existing deal, which doesn't run out until 2028, is worth around £120,000 per week. But Isak was promised a new deal by Amanda Staveley before she left the club - only it wasn't forthcoming under the now-former sporting director Paul Mitchell.
And after a bumper season in front of goal, scoring 23 times in the Premier League, the player and his club are way apart on their respective valuations. As reported by The Times, Isak's camp have been pursuing a package worth £300k per week, a figure outside of Newcastle's present pay structure, with the Toon only prepared to go up to £200k per week.
Isak's demands would ultimately elevate him among the Premier League's top earners. And unless Newcastle hit that mark, he isn't interested in negotiating a new deal in the North East.
Howe addressed rumours about Isak as he explained his decision to send him home before the Celtic game. He said: "It was my decision. He travelled back to Glasgow with us, but I decided to send him home due to the speculation around him."
The Magpies boss added: "Yes, I've had discussions with him, but that's not abnormal. I respect a player's career and how short it is. Alex has been really good, he's trained really well and I realise there'll be noise around him. We have a few of those players who are irreplaceable. Your top players are so hard to find, so hard to recruit and so hard to develop.
"So when you have them, you need to treasure them. Of course, we're desperate to keep him as part of our team. I think it's difficult for me to ever give 100 per cent clarity on any player, I'd never do that.
"All I can say is Alex is happy at Newcastle, he loves the players, the staff, the team. I've never had any issue with him and I'm confident he's going to be here at the start of the season."
However, since those words, the landscape has shifted considerably, with Isak looking increasingly likely to be moving on, with Liverpool at the front of the queue for his services and capable of financing a mega-money deal