‘My information…’ – Chief football reporter outlines what it ‘might take’ for Liverpool to sign Isak

Alexander Isak may have inadvertently made it harder for himself to be granted his wish of a move from Newcastle to Liverpool.

That appears to be the suggestion from one prominent journalist who’s been covering the saga all summer, with the soap opera exploding in recent days.

The striker published a statement on social media last Tuesday in which he claimed that his club didn’t fulfil ‘promises’ made to him regarding his future, with St James’ Park chiefs countering that by insisting that ‘no commitment’ was made to allow the Sweden international to leave Tyneside.

What has Craig Hope now said about Isak and Newcastle?

Craig Hope, chief football reporter with the Daily Mail, appeared on the Sunday Supplement on Sky Sports this morning, and he hinted that Newcastle seem less likely to sell Isak after the public tit-for-tat a few days ago, especially if they fail to bring in attacking reinforcements of their own.

The journalist said on the show (via X): “I’ve said this all along – I don’t think negotiating the fee will be an issue. Will it be as high as £150m? It might get there with add-ons, but my information is somewhere around the £130m+ mark might’ve been enough to do this.

“Now, what I will say is, pre-statement, there is a hardening of the resolve among the hierarchy for Isak not to go. On the back of that, it might take a little bit more to persuade Newcastle, if they bring in those two strikers.”

Newcastle digging in over Isak, but still time for Liverpool to pounce

Hope has previously iterated that the Magpies almost certainly won’t sell Isak unless they reinforce their own attack first, and the Tyneside club had a second bid for Yoane Wissa rejected this week (Sky Sports).

The journalist indicated today (via X) that Eddie Howe’s side are still ‘trying for’ the Brentford star, but are ‘very unlikely’ to sign two strikers between now and the 1 September deadline.

Newcastle’s defiance to hold onto their top scorer from last season is understandable and will have been amplified by recent events, but surely even they would be thinking long and hard about doing business if Liverpool were to come in with an offer of £130m or more in the coming days.

Will the manager want a player who’s clearly unhappy at the club to be spreading a negative influence in the dressing room on Tyneside? Might the St James’ Park hierarchy fear that Isak’s value could diminish in the next few months if he’s not reintegrated into the squad or his form drops?

There’s only eight days remaining in the transfer window, so FSG will need to act with significant haste if they are to get a deal done in that timeframe, but it’s still time enough for this protracted saga to deliver one more defining twist…

You can view the full Sunday Supplement discussion with Hope below, via @CraigHope_DM on X:

"Were the statements the end of this? No. This is the next chapter, The Standoff – and we've still got 8 days to go!"

Full rerun of @SkySports Sunday Supplement section on Alexander Isak, Newcastle & Liverpool… pic.twitter.com/slVYTUYoPX

— Craig Hope (@CraigHope_DM) August 24, 2025

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