My bold prediction is that he ends up at Liverpool and Newcastle get Ekitike. There will be a huge backlash if they sell him to Saudi, they've pissed off the player by not letting him go to Liverpool and missed out a long term target in the process. I think they'll be frantically trying to resurrect those 2 deals behind the scenes. Of course, if that happens, it will have been the plan all along and Newcastle playing "4D chess" and negotiating hard with Liverpool.
No formal also is an admittance of ‘enquiries’. The suggestion is he was promised a new deal by Staverly and when she went they ****ed that off. Now they want to do it, but he doesn’t. Explains him saying ‘see you next season’ to VVD at Anfield. Strikes me that although that didn’t happen (still old like…) he’d decided he was away time ago.
I still think Isak stays this season but is a gonner next year, especially if Newcastle don’t get champions league again
That would be even funnier now, given the amount of tweets I’ve seen over the last couple of days of Mags mocking Ekitike and saying how much better Isak is…
Liverpool can easily buy both. They will sell Diaz to Bayern, sell Darwin, and potentially play Eti of left with Isak central. Eti wants to go Liverpool now, he won’t fancy the massive downgrade to go to NE1
PIF are indeed an investment fund, set up to make money. But in this case, as they are a direct arm of the state, they are being used by the state. It is not about making money, it is about cleaning up your image. About getting a senior government figure holding a cup at Wembley. They will never recoup the money they have spent there. That said, if Isaak really did end up in Saudi, it would clearly imply a shift in focus from their investment up there, to their new toy in the sand.
They wouldn't want both and they don't waste money for the sake of it. On the left they'll have Gakpo and Wirtz in some games. That's what never made sense in the first place, the idea of Ekitike and Isak playing together was odd. This might actually save face for everyone. Liverpool get Isak, Newcastle get Ekitike, Saudi get Darwin and maybe someone like Harvey Elliott goes to the mags as well. Newcastle claim the win, but Liverpool get everything they want.
Likely Isak being ‘open’ to going to Saudi is him just cracking the door open for Liverpool. I don’t see him going Saudi.
Scousers may well fancy Gordon. They gonna take in 70 or so for Diaz, they will want to replace him. They won’t want to play Wirtz off the left, even though he can. He isn’t quick enough for out left in PL. Gakpo aye, they will definitely want another of Diaz goes. Inclined to agree that Eti and Isak too similar, but it may all be just Liverpool moving pieces into place.
I wonder if the “personal terms are not a problem” is because he’s on a relatively low wage at Lille or because he’s already agreed terms with us? I think we’ve assumed the latter but it might just be his demands aren’t high?
this is what I meant by above. I’m not 100% sure that “personal terms not a problem” means he’s already agreed to join us. I just think it means Hawkins expects whoever does agree a fee will get him.