Alexander Isak has told Newcastle he wants to explore a move away from the club this summer, Mail Sport can exclusively reveal.
The striker did not travel with the squad on their pre-season tour of the Far East on Thursday after leaving training with a thigh injury on Monday.
However, in a bombshell development, we can reveal that the club’s hierarchy are aware of Isak’s wish to consider his options this summer, with Liverpool readying a British record offer.
The 25-year-old has three years to run on his contract and chief executive Darren Eales said in March that a new deal would be discussed at the end of the season.
For now, though, Isak and his camp do not want to commit, with Liverpool’s interest their priority.
Newcastle’s owners and head coach Eddie Howe do not want to sell and the preference would be to negotiate fresh terms, even if that meant a move next summer.
That possibility remains, given Newcastle are in a strong position contractually, but an offer from Liverpool or any club in the region of £150million, coupled with Isak’s own wishes, could see a move accelerate in the coming weeks.
Isak missed Newcastle’s 4-0 defeat at Celtic at the weekend after Howe said the player had been allowed to return home amid the speculation over his future, as well as a desire to ‘manage his minutes’.
The Magpies boss said after the game that he expected Isak to travel to Singapore and South Korea. The club say his absence is because of a minor thigh issue.
The forward has scored 62 goals from 109 matches for Newcastle and, under Howe, has developed into one of the most coveted strikers in world football.
Any sale would command a British record in excess of the £116m Liverpool paid for Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen last month.
