Journalist now says Alexander Isak's contract demands have stunned Newcastle United
Newcastle United and Alexander Isak have been looking to open talks over a new deal this summer amid a mountain of speculation over the Swede's future.
Newcastle are prepared to make Isak their highest-earning player in recognition of his contribution since his £63 million arrival from Real Sociedad in 2022.
Bruno Guimaraes currently holds the title of Newcastle's highest earner, but plans were to eclipse his reported £160,000-a-week compensation by offering Isak closer to £200,000-a-week.
However, thanks to all of the Liverpool speculation, it's believed that Isak's demands are going to be well out of Newcastle's scope.
Alexander Isak could be about to demand £300K-a-week from Newcastle
According to TBR Football journalist Graeme Bailey, Isak, or rather Isak's people, are looking for £300,000-a-week, which would shatter Newcastle's current wage structure.
We understand the reasoning behind it. Isak is being touted as one of, if not the best, strikers in world football right now, and it's only natural that he should feel that his compensation should reflect that, especially knowing that he'd be given that money if he were to move elsewhere.
However, his current deal runs to 2028, and Newcastle are under no obligation to even open talks with the striker. By not doing so, though, they risk unsettling the striker, which in turn could unsettle the rest of the group.
Newcastle could be stuck between a rock and a hard place
On the flip side, caving into his demands and offering him £300K-a-week could also upset the group as they will all start feeling they should be paid better.
Newcastle are in a lose-lose situation if this proves to be true. We could end up being better off selling him to Al-Hilal. If he wants to follow the money, then off to Saudi Arabia he goes.
Fingers crossed this is all just agent-driven nonsense. We want Isak tied down to a new bumper deal as much as anyone, but we also shouldn't be held to ransom because of a few transfer rumours. If Isak stays at Newcastle, it will help them to stay in the Champions League and potentially win more trophies, and with that will come an ability to offer better wages. Perhaps a clause is put into a new deal that allows his wages to grow each season, depending on the level of success achieved during that campaign.
