LIVERPOOL are willing to play a waiting game to land dream striker Alexander Isak after a key pre-season deadline.
Top target Isak, 25, is proving difficult to lure away from Newcastle, with the Toon Army prepared to make him the highest-paid player in the club’s 132-year history.
After securing Champions League football next season, Eddie Howe sees Isak as a crucial part of his project as he looks to make Newcastle a dominant force in English football.
Howe has spoken openly about Newcastle tying Isak down to a new mega contract, with his current deal worth £120,000-a-week until June 2028.
But fresh talks have yet to materialise and this has given rival clubs, including Arsenal, hope they can pull off a remarkable swoop.
Liverpool Echo correspondent Paul Gorst has reported the Premier League champions will keep tabs on the situation over the summer, and wait until after Profit and Sustainability Regulations reset on June 30.
This is because the end of June marks the end of the financial year for most clubs, and meeting PSR requirements (specifically, not exceeding a £105m loss over a three-year period) is crucial to avoid potential points deductions
Isak was lethal once again last season, netting 27 goals in 42 games across all competitions, including 23 in the Premier League.
He played a key role, scoring a goal in the Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool as Newcastle ended their 70-year trophy drought, while also qualifying for the Champions League via a fifth-placed Prem finish.
Newcastle broke their transfer record by spending £63million on Isak in August 2022 and they have no intention of losing him anytime soon.
But Liverpool seem prepared to break a British transfer record to prise the Sweden international away from St James' Park, with Newcastle slapping a £150million price tag on the 25-year-old.
Manager Arne Slot is in the market for a new No 9 as Darwin Nunez closes in on an exit to Serie A champions Napoli after failing to impress.
If Liverpool miss out on Isak, then they could pursue Hugo Ekitike or Joao Pedro instead, with the club also registering an interest in Arsenal and Manchester United target Viktor Gyokeres.
Anfield chiefs have already splashed out more than £200million over the last month since the season ended, with Bournemouth full-back Milos Kerkez their latest signing.
Kerkez joins Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong as the next major arrival on Merseyside this summer.
Along with goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, whose transfer is reportedly set to be included in this summer's accounts despite being sealed last year, Liverpool's summer spending has hit a whopping £216MILLION already.
Having conducted the bulk of their transfer work more than a fortnight before the players return for pre-season training, sporting director Richard Hughes and Slot are relaxed about the situation around Isak.