After weeks of hearing about Liverpool’s rumoured interest in Alexander Isak, Newcastle are reportedly planning their own transfer raid on the Premier League winners’ squad this summer.
The Magpies are guaranteed European football for next season after beating the Reds in the Carabao Cup final in March, but with Eddie Howe’s side currently third in the table, they’ll be hoping their continental involvement for 2025/26 is in the Champions League and not the other two UEFA competitions.
If the Tynesiders secure a top-five finish, that should give them greater scope to land their desired transfer targets, one of whom currently plies his trade at Anfield.
Newcastle plotting Harvey Elliott transfer raid
According to TEAMtalk, Harvey Elliott features prominently on Newcastle’s shortlist of projected summer signings, and the St James’ Park outfit will be able to loosen the pursestrings this time around after being restricted by PSR concerns over the past couple of years.
Although Liverpool aren’t planning to make the 22-year-old available for transfer, Eddie Howe’s side might still push to try and sign a player who, in their eyes, ‘ticks all the boxes’ for what they’re seeking.
The report claims that the Magpies may need to stump up £50m or more to sign the Reds’ number 19, who has two years remaining on his contract and is a ‘valued player’ with ample Premier League experience.
It’d take something special from Newcastle to land Elliott
It was only this week that Elliott told the Liverpool Echo that his preference would be to remain at Anfield for the rest of his career, so despite him not starting a single top-flight game all season, Newcastle could still face an almighty battle to try and persuade him to swap Merseyside for Tyneside.
St James’ Park legend Alan Shearer has previously labelled the 22-year-old ‘a real talent’, and although the England under-21 star has had to be patient for game-time under Arne Slot, he’s still proven capable of making decisive contributions – not least his late winner away to Paris Saint-Germain two months ago.
Every footballer ultimately has their price, and even the ex-Fulham youngster might one day have his obvious adoration for LFC eclipsed by a burning desire to play more regularly, something which won’t be lost on the Newcastle hierarchy.
However, Liverpool’s reported asking price of £50m clearly signals that they don’t want to lose Elliott and that it’d take a rather generous offer to even bring them to the negotiating table, which is exactly the way it should be from Richard Hughes and co.
You can’t blame the Magpies for wanting to raid Anfield for our number 19, but they best understand that it’d take a monumental effort to even come close to prising him from the Premier League champions!
