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| Alexander Isak of Real Sociedad in action during the La Liga Santander match between Levante UD and Real Sociedad at Ciutat de Valencia stadium, May 6, 2022, Valencia, Spain. |
Newcastle United are
ready to shatter their transfer record with the £59m (€69.8m) arrival of Sweden
international Alexander Isak.
Newcastle came close to
agreeing a move for Isak at the start of the transfer window but the deal
stalled over the size of the fee and the player’s wage demands.
Real Sociedad
originally informed Newcastle that they would have to activate the striker’s
release clause of £76m (€89.9m) and the club were also perturbed by suggestions
the player would ask for more than £200,000-a-week.
Newcastle informed the
Spanish club they were willing to offer around £50m (€59.1m) for Isak in
staggered payments, but that verbal offer was dismissed and talks broke down.
However, it is
understood a hamstring injury to Callum Wilson has focused minds at St James’
Park and talks with Sociedad restarted on Monday. Wilson’s injury is not a
serious one and he will only be out of action for a few weeks, but his fitness
record is poor and he has missed several months during each of his previous two
seasons on Tyneside.
Isak has also indicated
he would like the move and appears willing to also accept he will not command
wages above £120,000-a-week on Tyneside if he completes the transfer.
Newcastle have agreed
an initial fee of £59m, in staggered payments, although the eventual size of
the fee could rise to £63.2m. That would make Isak the club’s record signing,
dwarfing the £40m paid to Hoffenheim for Joelinton back in 2019.
Newcastle are still
looking to make one more signing this month, with a loan deal the most likely
option and are still waiting to learn what Chelsea intend to do with Christian
Pulisic and Conor Gallagher.
Meanwhile, West Ham
United have offered more than €40m (€47.3m) for Lyon midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
Talks are still at an early stage for the highly-rated Brazilian international
who has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this summer.
The 25-year-old would
become West Ham’s eighth new signing during this transfer window with the club
heavily backing manager David Moyes.
So far West Ham have
spent close to £130m largely to bolster their defence including the signings of
centre-backs Nayef Aguerd and Thilo Kehrer and full-back Emerson Palmieri,
along with striker Gianluca Scamacca. They have also signed Maxwell Cornet,
Flynn Downes and turned goalkeeper Alphonse Areola’s loan into a permanent
move.
Paqueta has earned 33
caps for Brazil and was part of the Brazil squad that won the Copa America in
2019. He was signed by Lyon the following year from AC Milan.
