Alexander Isak has made no secret of his desire to join Liverpool, but his hopes of landing one of his favoured shirt numbers will depend on current Reds players

The transfer market has been set abuzz by reports that Alexander Isak wants to leave Newcastle United this summer. According to The Athletic, the 25-year-old striker even preferred to skip the club’s pre-season tour in Asia, although Newcastle officially cited fitness issues for his absence.

Eddie Howe fielded eight questions on the striker during Saturday's 15-minute press conference. The situation is beyond a distraction now

A few weeks can make a huge difference in evaluating a club's season outlook, and the flurry of reports regarding star striker Alexander Isak have put a worrying cap on a troubling fortnight at Newcastle United.

Arsenal are the other club that have been most readily linked with Isak given their desperate need for a new No.9. However, given the finances involved in a deal for the Newcastle man, the Gunners also turned to an alternative in his Sweden teammate Viktor Gyökeres.

Newcastle fans can feel justifiably angry by the notion that a team will waltz off with their No 9 with a flutter of eyelashes and a wad of cash. Isak is Newcastle’s best striker since Alan Shearer and is already one of the world’s elite forwards.

Liverpool remain interested in Alexander Isak after he told Newcastle that he wants to leave, while Luis Diaz is among a group of Reds stars who could be sold to fund a lucrative transfer

Arsenal have long been linked with Eberechi Eze and should make a deal happen over the coming weeks. The creative midfielder has only two years remaining on his Crystal Palace contract, potentially making him available for a bargain fee.