No formal contact has been made between Newcastle and Liverpool, who saw an earlier informal approach for Isak swiftly rebuffed and pivoted to sign Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Reds are prepared to lodge a record-breaking bid if Newcastle indicate any willingness to get a deal done.

Liverpool could deploy a squeezed 4-2-3-1, in which the nominal wingers Salah and Ekitike are so narrow they operate more as number 10s either side of Florian Wirtz, with the width then provided by two flying full-backs.

The future of Alexander Isak is still up in the air as Liverpool circle around the Newcastle star. Isak has three years left on his 5-year deal. The Swedish international is training alone in Spain as he prepares for a move to Liverpool.