Newcastle ‘meetings this week’ as Liverpool hit with brutal Dan Burn jibe amid ‘impossible’ verdict

Alan Shearer has given a clear instruction to Newcastle United about Alexander Isak as Liverpool plan a second bid to try to bring the striker to Anfield, as Magpies manager Eddie Howe sends a warning to his prized asset amid planned meetings this week.

The transfer saga involving Liverpool, Newcastle and Isak has escalated ever since TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, first exclusively broke the news on July 24 that the Sweden international striker has told the Magpies that he wants to leave this summer. The 25-year-old is not happy with Newcastle’s transfer business so far and is also disappointed that the Carabao Cup winners did not offer him a new deal until now.

Liverpool have had an initial bid of £110million, rising to £120m (€137.5m, $159m) with add-ons, for Isak turned down, with Newcastle now offering the striker a new and improved contract with a release clause for next summer.

The former Real Sociedad star, though, still wants to leave St. James’ Park, with reports claiming that Liverpool are planning a second and improved bid for Isak, with Reds manager Arne Slot having already held talks with the striker.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that Newcastle are holding out for £150m (€130.5m, $173.5m), and former Magpies striker Shearer believes that the club should sell the striker.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer also took a dig at Liverpool, joking that the Premier League champions will not even get Dan Burn for £110m.

When initially asked about Liverpool’s bid for Isak, Shearer quipped: “They wouldn’t get Dan Burn for £110m, let alone Isak!”

However, the pundit subsequently gave a more measured response and said that if Isak wants to join Liverpool, then Newcastle should not stop keep him against his will.

Shearer noted: “I’m ok with the situation. I thought he might have stayed for another season and then this would have happened next summer. But it is what it is.

“If he can’t be persuaded to stay, then if someone offers Newcastle what they want then they’ve got to take that. Ultimately, you just say ‘thank you very much for the great memories, off you go.’”

The Newcastle legend continued: “I’m not angry at all towards him, I understand how football works, I know what happens in and around the game.

“I understand his mentality. If I like it and understand it are two different things.

“Obviously, Liverpool have been into him or his agent, I just thought it might have happened next year.

“If it really is impossible for Eddie to turn him around and he says no, and it sounds like that is the case, he wants to be out now, you get your big money in and you get other people in, hopefully beforehand, and you move on.”

Shearer’s comments on Isak come amid the striker returning to Newcastle after training on his own at his former club Sociedad, with the rest of the squad having been on their pre-season tour of Asia.

Journalists Keith Downie and Ben Jacobs have both reported that Isak will hold talks with the club this week about his future.

Jacobs wrote on X at 9:56am on August 4: “Alexander Isak has returned to Newcastle’s training ground after missing the the club’s pre-season tour of Asia.

“He will have meetings this week with club officials over his future.”

Downie wrote on X at 9:56am on August 4: Alexander Isak has returned to the Newcastle United training ground this morning following his solo trip to recover/train in Spain.

“The #NUFC first team squad landed back in the North East earlier this morning.

“Isak is set to meet Eddie Howe after pulling out of their pre-season trip to Singapore & Korea.”

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Eddie Howe slams Alexander Isak amid Liverpool interest

Howe cannot escape questions from the media about Isak, and last week, the Newcastle manager admitted that he was clueless about what is going on with the star striker.

The Newcastle manager told The Daily Mail: “I know where he is, really, through the media.

“From that perspective, it’s difficult for me to go into any kind of detail. The situation is far from ideal and is quite complex.”

When asked about Liverpool’s opening offer, Howe said: “I was made aware of a bid yesterday (Friday) and that bid was turned down, all before I’d even heard about it.

“People back in England are dealing with the situation. I don’t know what happens next. From our perspective, we still support Alex in every way, and my wish is that we see him in a Newcastle shirt again.”

Howe was asked about Isak again after Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in South Korea in a pre-season friendly over the weekend.

This time, the Newcastle manager was more vocal about Isak and said, as quoted in The Sun: “You have to earn the right to train with us.

“We are Newcastle United. The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team and part of a squad – you have to act in the right way. So that is also at play here.

“We will make sure that any player does that to earn the right to train with the group.

“No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal.”

Howe added about the prospect of Isak getting back to training with the rest of the Newcastle squad: “Of course I’d like him to be (at training next week), but whether he will I don’t know at this moment in time.

“We have been here with the time difference, preparing for training and for games. Other people have been dealing with that situation back at home.”

Latest Liverpool news: Darwin Nunez exit, crunch Rodrygo talks

TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Rudy Galetti, has reported that Darwin Nunez is ready to leave Liverpool in the summer transfer window and has already agreed a verbal agreement with another club.

Rodrygo is going to hold ‘face-to-face’ talks with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez on Monday, amid claims that Liverpool have already agreed personal terms with the Brazil international forward.

A wantaway Liverpool winger is the subject of interest from Napoli, with the player keen on leaving Anfield and Slot himself ready to offload him.

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