 "Alexander Isak returns to Newcastle a day after Liverpool’s Rs 1,282 crore bid turned down")
Swedish striker Alexander Isak is back in Newcastle after spending time at a personal training camp in Spain. This comes just one day after Liverpool made a huge £110 million (Rs 1,282 crore) offer for him, which Newcastle United reportedly rejected as it didn’t meet their expectations.
Isak flew into Newcastle on Saturday, August 2, in the afternoon. He had been training alone at the facilities of his former club, Real Sociedad, in San Sebastian. Isak chose not to join Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia, saying he had a thigh injury. He worked with his own staff to recover in Spain before the new season.
Why did Newcastle reject the offer?
According to Sky Sports News, Liverpool made a formal offer on Friday worth £110 million plus add-ons. However, the total amount did not reach Newcastle’s asking price of £120 million, so the Magpies turned it down. The club reportedly values Isak at £150 million (Rs 1,749 crore) and are not looking to sell him this summer.
Newcastle, however, still seem to be preparing for Isak’s possible exit. It is understood that they made a £70 million (over Rs 800 crore) bid to RB Leipzig for striker Benjamin Sesko, who could be his replacement if he does leave. The 25-year-old has informed Newcastle that he wants to explore his options this summer.
Newcastle’s head coach Eddie Howe also confirmed that they received an offer from Liverpool for Isak, which the club turned down. He also expressed his wish for Isak to continue playing at Newcastle in the upcoming season.
“I am very much removed from anything that’s happening back home. I was made aware that there was a bid [on Friday] - that bid was turned down all before I even heard about it. There’s people back in England dealing with the situation,” Howe said in a press conference in South Korea on Sunday.
“I really don’t know what’s going to happen next, but from our perspective we still support Alex in every way, and my wish is still that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again,” he added.
Howe, however, admitted that he had no idea where Isak was until the media wrote about it. “I know where he is now - through the media. So I think from that perspective, it is difficult to go into any type of detail,” Howe said.
Isak played a key role in Newcastle’s attack last season as he scored 23 goals, the second-most in the league after Mohamed Salah.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
