Alexander Isak is not for sale. That’s been the message the club has repeated over and over again for the past six months, and it was repeated earlier today in a new piece from the Telegraph.
But the shock news that the Swede wants to leave the club this summer has fueled speculation that he has already played his last game in the black and white stripes.
With the likes of Fabrizio Romano reporting that the striker only wants a move to Liverpool, Eddie Howe and the recruitment team will be less than keen to sell to a direct rival.
But according to a new report, a mammoth bid has come in from abroad they we simply may not be able to refuse…
According to The Guardian, Alexander Isak has reportedly been offered a staggering £600,000 a week wage to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal this summer.
The striker has been reportedly frustrated behind-the-scenes that we have not offered a wage increase over the course of the last season, despite our valuation of Isak as a world-class talent.
But this life-changing amount of money, which would be tax-free, also comes with “lucrative bonuses on top” should he be the league’s top scorer and help them win the AFC Champions League.
Al-Hilal, managed by former Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi, have been looking for a striker this window. And though the Italian has reportedly asked for Liverpool’ Darwin Nunez, Isak may be an even more welcome addition to the Saudi Pro League side.
If Isak were to accept this offer, it would give a good insight into how the club may have made mistakes in regards to maintaining a positive relationship with the player.
But should Isak turn them down, citing his desire to play in the Champions League and remain at an elite level in time for next summer’s World Cup, then we can perhaps better attribute the lack of investment and transfers as being the core reason why Isak has sought to leave.
Given Al-Hilal, like us, are owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a confirmed transfer between us and them would no doubt cause a significant stir in the Premier League.
The league acted astonishingly quickly to ratify new third party rules and regulations once a rumour emerged that we were planning on loaning in Al-Hilal’s Joao Neves, after he left Wolves for big money the previous summer.
So for arguably the most in-demand player in world football to turn down Liverpool and instead join Al-Hilal would be quite the statement.
It’s understood that this money that Arne Slot’s side simply cannot offer, and would again invite criticism that Saudi Arabia is buying players for their own project’s benefit.
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