Alexander Isak to Liverpool? Newcastle United star reportedly wants to leave as he misses preseason tour

As Newcastle United prepare for a preseason tour in Asia, where they'll face the K-League All-Stars and Tottenham, they may also need to begin to prepare for life without their star striker, Alexander Isak. The Swedish striker, already missing their preseason tour which the club says is due to injury, wants to leave the club, according to The Athletic.

Liverpool were a club previously interested in Isak's talent but were told that he wasn't for sale. Could that now change?

With this apparent standoff and him not currently signing a new deal with the club, that interest could return despite Liverpool just signing forward Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt. In the Premier League arms race for the top, nothing could help keep Liverpool there for years quite like adding a striker to their ranks who has scored 20 or more Premier League goals in two consecutive seasons.

Isak helped Newcastle United return to Champions League play and win the EFL Cup while scoring 27 goals and assisting six more in all competitions last season, and that would be a massive addition anywhere that he would potentially land if he does leave the club. With Liverpool and Arsenal both adding top targets to improve their attacks, it is harder to spring for a forward with Isak's price tag, but that certainly doesn't mean it couldn't happen as the Reds' acquisition of Ekitike doesn't mean Isak is no longer a target, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Bayern Munich were interested in Liverpool forward Luiz Diaz, and while those bids were rebuffed, if the Bavarians come back in, it could help the Reds both find space in their crowded attack while also adding funds to afford to push Newcastle's resolve. The Magpies could also try sweeter contract incentives because losing someone like Isak at this stage of preparing for the season will be a tough hole to fill.

Here's what to know about his situation:

Current contract

Isak is signed until 2027-28 as part of a six-year deal, earning a reported $6.2 million per season.

A complicated transfer

What a difference that a week makes. Previously, Newcastle were reportedly in for getting Ekitike -- who has a very similar style to Isak -- but now he's at Liverpool. For Newcastle's grand plans of winning the league and more after being purchased by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, losing their star striker would put quite a dent in those plans. They've done good business, adding Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest, but the number nine has no true depth behind Isak.

William Osula is the only true striker left on the roster with Callum Wilson's departure. At 21, Osula has talent, but he has only scored one Premier League goal in his career despite making 35 appearances. Even looking at his entire career between Sheffield United, Derby County, and Newcastle, Osula only has 10 goals and three assists in all professional competitions that he has been involved in.

Taking part in the Champions League and also expecting to compete for a spot in the top four, it's safe to say that the Magpies would need a striker in the worst way if Isak does depart, and even if he stays, they still need a striker to cope with the games that will be thrown at them. Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig is someone already linked to Newcastle with all this, but that could be too much risk for their expectations on short notice. Testing the resolve of Bayer Leverkusen for Patrik Schick or approaching Atletico Madrid about Alexander Sorloth are ways into a short-term solution, while then looking to add a younger striker to grow behind them, along with Osula.

Doing all this while trying to prepare the squad for the preseason adds quite a wrinkle for Eddie Howe, but this is what life at the top looks like for clubs. Chelsea were wheeling and dealing all the way through winning the Club World Cup with Noni Madueke departing for Arsenal, and if Newcastle wants to stay in a Champions League place, being able to cope with losing one of their best players and moving forward will be the first true test of the new regime. Manchester City do this all the time, and they have rarely missed a beat. This is a move that could alter the fate of the Premier League in the creation of a big Liverpool machine.

Liverpool could become the favorites to win the league

Gaining Isak would vault the Reds over the top in the Premier League. They've already added Florian Wirtz and Ekitike to their attack, and bringing Isak along as well would be a massive boost to their attacking depth. It's been a complicated offseason for the Reds as just days after signing Wirtz, forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car accident in Spain. This has created an unexpected need for more forwards while also looking to improve on Darwin Nunez at the nine.

Even if Diaz departs, Liverpool's attack would be in a strong place with Ekitike, Harvey Elliott, Mohamed Salah, and Isak, but it's the midfield that would set them apart from the rest of the league. Already with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szobozlai, the midfield was in good hands before the arrival of Wirtz, and also adding Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones to the mix, Arne Slot will be spoiled for choice.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure created a void in chance creation for Liverpool but they're able to shift that further up the pitch with Wirtz's arrival to ensure that they don't miss a beat. It also allows a shift further into Slot's style as their evolution away from Jurgen Klopp's heavy metal football continues. Slot employs a machine based on precision and movements being repeatable, and as he gains more tools to continue building that, the sky is the limit for what Liverpool can accomplish.