Report in Spain says Barcelona also keen on Newcastle United midfielder as Alexander Isak rumours persist

While the British media are starting to come to terms with the fact that Alexander Isak is highly unlikely to leave Newcastle United this summer, journalists on the continent haven't quite got the message.

Alexander Isak's future has been a popular topic of speculation but now, in the wake of Newcastle finally putting an end to their trophy drought, pundits and journalists are beginning to understand that Newcastle do actually hold some power to retain Isak's services.

After the Carabao Cup win, Newcastle's chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, reportedly told Newcastle's hierarchy to resist any offers for Isak this summer.

Grabbing Champions League football will likely put an end to the entire debate, or at least it should for the most part, especially in the UK, but foreign journalists might still fancy their chances of connecting Isak to the big sides from their country, particularly Spain and Barcelona.

Getty Images

Barcelona have had their eye on Sandro Tonali for five years

Indeed, Mundo Deportivo are still reporting that Barcelona want Isak, but to add a bit of extra sauce to their latest report they're now also saying that Hansi Flick wants Sandro Tonali too.

It's claimed that Barca have been eyeing Tonali for five years, and while the transfer talk around Tonali has always been about a return to Italy, the Spanish media seem to back Barcelona's pull to be enough to draw Tonali to Spain.

Fortunately, the report does acknowledge how unlikely a move would be given the finances involved, which would also apply to Alexander Isak.

We're not sure how Barcelona are able to do any transfer business let alone for the likes of Tonali and Isak

Barcelona have been in financial trouble for years, and yet there's always talk of them landing big-name players whenever a transfer window comes around.

We're not sure how they're doing it, especially when you consider how Newcastle have all the financial clout in the world and finds it hard to spend anything thanks to restrictions.

Yes, they're in different leagues with different rules, but UEFA also has a set of rules that anyone playing in a European competition must abide by, and they're just as, if not more restrictive than the Premier League rules, and yet, it just feels like the bigger the club, the less the rules apply.

Still, they may be able to bend the rules, but they'll not be getting their hands on Sandro Tonali or Alexander Isak this summer, of that we're confident.