Liverpool’s hesitation leaves Alexander Isak hanging in transfer suspense

Liverpool’s pursuit of Newcastle striker Alexander Isak has potentially stalled, with manager Arne Slot hinting that the Reds may already have sufficient attacking depth ahead of the new season.

The Merseysiders reportedly lodged a £110M ($128.6M) bid earlier in the summer, only for Newcastle to reject it. No further offers have followed, leaving Isak in limbo as his situation at St James’ Park grows increasingly tense.

The Sweden international has not trained with Newcastle’s first team and was ruled out of Monday’s clash with Liverpool, citing “broken promises” in a point ed social media post that publicly announced his desire to move.

For Liverpool, the transfer picture is complicated. Slot has overseen a major overhaul in attack following the exits of Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz, as well as the tragic passing of Diogo Jota. 

The club responded by signing Hugo Ekitike and bolstering versatility with summer arrivals Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong. Alongside stars Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool now has a star-studded frontline.

"It depends how you want to look at it," Slot said, via Sky Sports. "Yes, we’ve sold Darwin, we’ve brought in Hugo, Luis is gone, but maybe you can see Florian as his replacement.

"Then you have Jeremie Frimpong, who, when fit, is definitely an option to play as a winger as well. So then we end up at six. We have six players who can play in three positions."

Despite his measured tone ahead of the dramatic clash with Newcastle, Slot has previously admitted Liverpool may still need at least one more attacker. 

That remark kept the door ajar for Isak, though the club appears unwilling to escalate a bidding war. Its policy is clear that it only wants the right player at the right price, especially after spending nearly $400 million this summer.

Meanwhile, Isak’s absence has left Newcastle boss Eddie Howe scrambling for alternatives. The forward has become increasingly detached from the club, with critics branding the saga a mess and questioning the behavior of the Swedish striker. 

Newcastle, however, maintains that he remains under contract and will not be forced into a cut-price sale.

For now, the standoff leaves Isak trapped in transfer purgatory. Liverpool’s hesitation may be a negotiating tactic or a genuine reflection of its confidence in the squad’s depth. 

Either way, the longer the Reds wait, the greater the uncertainty surrounding one of Europe’s most coveted forwards.