Liverpool’s target, Alexander Isak, did not accompany the Newcastle United team for their pre-season tour to Singapore, as reported by journalist Ben Jacobs.
The Swedish international allegedly missed the journey due to a thigh injury, although a precautionary scan returned negative results.
Newcastle is set to compete against Arsenal at Singapore’s National Stadium on Sunday, before traveling to Seoul for matches against Team K League and Tottenham Hotspur in the following week.
Isak has attracted the attention of Premier League champions Liverpool this summer, following yet another remarkable individual season at St James’ Park.
The Sweden international scored 23 goals and provided six assists in 34 top-flight matches last season, finishing as the league’s second-highest goalscorer, just behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Newcastle has made it clear that Isak is not available for transfer this summer, leading Liverpool to redirect their attention to Hugo Ekitike, whose £82m transfer to Anfield was confirmed on Wednesday.
Isak has also been associated with a surprising transfer to the Saudi Pro League, and his agent, Gonzalo Gaitan, has further fueled speculation regarding his future by recently stating that the striker is ‘studying and analysing all options’.
Isak was omitted from Newcastle’s 4-0 pre-season loss to Celtic on Saturday, with manager Eddie Howe later confirming that the decision was related to the ongoing speculation surrounding the striker’s future.
The 25-year-old, who transferred to Newcastle from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2022, has three years left on his contract, which extends until June 2028.Isak is thought to be only the fourth-highest earner at Newcastle, with a weekly salary of £120,000.