Newcastle United are reportedly willing to pay £50million to sign Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad. However, that figure still isn’t enough to bring the striker to St James’ Park.
That’s according to the Telegraph, who claim the Magpies’ attempts to sign the 22-year-old, who has been called an ‘exceptional talent‘ are now over.
It had been claimed at the start of the week that Newcastle are willing to break their transfer record to sign Isak.
A bid of £50million would certainly fall into that category, eclipsing the £40million spent on Joelinton back in 2019.
However, it is £26million shy of how much Sociedad want for the Sweden international. The Telegraph add that the La Liga side will only sell Isak if his £76million release clause is activated.
That kind of money would make him one of the most expensive signings in Premier League history. Newcastle simply aren’t going to pay that much money for one player, and it isn’t the only issue.
Isak wants huge wages to join Newcastle
If Newcastle were to agree a fee with Sociedad for Isak, the next problem would be personal terms. The Telegraph report that he would want to earn more than £200,000-a-week on Tyneside. This comes after he scored six La Liga goals last season.
Wages that high would make him Newcastle’s best paid player ever. It’s another figure Newcastle simply can’t match, as they look to preserve their wage structure.
Kieran Trippier is reportedly the club’s highest earner on £110,000-a-week, but Isak wants almost double that amount.
Newcastle aren’t going to pay that much, just like they have been unwilling to bow down to Jesse Lingard’s wage demands.
With a crazy asking price and astonishing wages demands, Isak’s move to Newcastle appears to be off. It was certainly short-lived, and now the Magpies will look elsewhere.
Howe needs to sign two attackers before the transfer window closes, but it looks like the club are going back to the drawing board.
A high profile addition like Isak would have been sensational, but it doesn’t appear to be feasible given our budget.