Jamie Carragher has named the “only two options” for Alexander Isak if he leaves Newcastle in the summer.
Isak has enjoyed a brilliant season for the Magpies, scoring 23 goals in all competitions including a brilliant finish in the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool to help his side end their 70-year wait for silverware.
His stunning form has drawn a number of admirers, including Arsenal and Liverpool, who are both in need of a new striker next season.
The 25-year-old has three years left on his current deal at St James’ Park and says he’s happy where he is for now, but it’s been suggested that failure to qualify for the Champions League could mean his head is turned at the end of the season.
And Gary Neville claims Newcastle are going to have a fight on their hands to keep hold of Isak, before absurdly naming 13th-placed Manchester United as one of the clubs he would “naturally” want to join.
“They are going to struggle to keep hold of Isak, he is going to want to play somewhere else unfortunately it’s the nature of the beast,” Neville told It’s Called Soccer.
“They will lose those players unfortunately. The reality is Newcastle are a great football club and we didn’t see that any more as we did on Sunday [at the Carabao Cup final].
“But they will want to play for the Real Madrids, Liverpools, Manchester Uniteds and Bayern Munichs of this world, it’s just natural that these players will want to play at those clubs at some point, if they can.”
MORE LIVERPOOL COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Liverpool star ‘says goodbye’ to Reds as Euro giants emerge as ‘new destination’
👉 Liverpool well placed to land tricky Frenchman who tore England U21 apart, with club ready to sell
👉 Harry Kane ‘asks to return to the Premier League’ with shock move to Liverpool mooted
Carragher dismissed Neville’s suggestion that United would be in the running for Isak, claiming Arsenal and Liverpool are the only viable suitors for Isak.
“100 per cent I think Isak stays if they qualify for the Champions League, I don’t think they let him go anyway,” Carragher said.
“The problem they do have is if they don’t qualify. It doesn’t really matter what happened in the cup final.
“I think the only two options at the moment would be Arsenal and Liverpool as they’re both sort of crying out for a striker.
“I just look at how long he’s got left on his deal and the ball is in Newcastle’s court, it’s not really in Isak’s. I think once you get [down] to two years [on the contract], it’s almost a 50-50, no-one wants to allow a player to get down to 12 months.
“Newcastle could keep him for another year and say, ‘we’ll see you then as we’re going to get the same sort of money’. I don’t think Newcastle gain anything by selling him now, unless that they have to.
“And that is why, if Newcastle get into the Champions League, there’s no way Isak is leaving the club. even if he wants to. I think the club will say: ‘No, do another 12 months and in a year’s time we can make a few quid and you can move on’.”
