Newcastle United have made it clear to Alexander Isak that they will not sell him during this transfer window, much to the annoyance of the forward. The future of the Swede has been one of the transfer sagas of the summer, with Liverpool seeing a huge bid of £110m rejected by the Magpies.

Alexander Isak has been told by the Newcastle United board he is not for sale this summer and will not be allowed to join Liverpool, in a show of defiance from the club’s Saudi owners.

The Premier League champions have identified a potential alternative to Isak, according to a report, as Newcastle face a repeat of Ekitike’s situation