Newcastle shaken for 120 million pounds

While the skyscrapers rising high in the capital Riyadh symbolize Saudi Arabia's unstoppable rise on the world financial map, at PIF Tower - the headquarters of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and also the "headquarters" of Newcastle United - a decision is being carefully considered: should Alexander Isak be sold to Liverpool for a record price?

For coach Eddie Howe, the answer is “no”. But for the Saudi owners, the real question is: “Why not?”.

From Isak to Ekitike: Two pieces that cannot coexist?

Eddie Howe dreams of a new attack, pairing Isak - the main striker last season with 23 goals in the Premier League - with Hugo Ekitike, the young French striker who has had an explosive season at Frankfurt. It is a promising prospect.

But in the real world, where the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) are tightening spending, that dream is unlikely to come true without trade-offs.

Newcastle have just spent £55m on Anthony Elanga, and they still need a right-sided centre-back, a goalkeeper (likely James Trafford for £30m) and a midfielder to replace Sean Longstaff, who is on his way to Leeds. In that context, the £120m Liverpool are willing to pay for Isak is hard to resist.

Liverpool want to buy Isak for 120 million pounds.

Newcastle have insisted Isak is “not for sale”, with the statement said to come “from the highest levels in Riyadh”. But in modern football, when a player is declared “untouchable”, it is often the opening salvo in a deal.

There were suspicious moves: after a meeting between Newcastle’s board and Isak’s representatives, the club suddenly switched from looking for a replacement for Callum Wilson to spending nearly £70 million on Ekitike – who they had twice failed to sign. Meanwhile, plans to negotiate a contract extension with Isak – which had been talked about since last year – remained dormant.

Despite Isak earning a whopping £150,000 a week, talks over a pay rise have stalled over concerns of breaching the PSR. If the two sides are still not back at the negotiating table, it could be a sign that the Swede is considering a move.

Ekitike - a reasonable investment, if you can afford it

In terms of economics and long-term strategy, Ekitike is the ideal signing: nearly three years younger than Isak, with a lower salary, less injury prone and similar playing styles – both preferring to drift left and play on the counter. Selling Isak for nearly double the price they paid for him (£65m) in exchange for Ekitike and having enough money to upgrade the squad is a “win-win” if successful.

Newcastle are at a crossroads.

However, the biggest obstacle is Frankfurt. The German club are notoriously tough negotiators and want more than the £87m Ekitike's release clause. Meanwhile, Liverpool are also closely following the French striker as a replacement for Darwin Núñez, who is likely to go to Saudi Arabia or Napoli.

If not for PSR’s constraints, Newcastle – backed by PIF – could have kept Isak, bought Ekitike and competed at the top. But the reality is that they almost broke financial regulations last summer. The club’s commercial revenue is still far behind Liverpool, Man City or Arsenal.

In an era where “buying smart” isn’t enough without “selling at a good price,” parting ways with Isak at the right time could open up a brighter future, at least from an accounting standpoint.

If Newcastle can buy Ekitike, selling Isak will no longer be a taboo. But if Frankfurt make things difficult, or Liverpool act faster, both Howe's plan and the Saudi owners' calculations will collapse like a series of dominoes.

Eddie Howe wants to keep Isak and build a new squad around him. But for PIF, the most important thing is to build a sustainable, law-abiding club that is “ready for the big time”. And to do that, they may have to take the painful route: sell their best player.

One decision, two fates - and Newcastle's future awaits answers from the PIF tower.

Source: https://znews.vn/newcastle-lac-lu-vi-120-trieu-bang-post1569255.html