Newcastle tends to replace Isaac with Ekitic, and senior executives have long intended to sell it

According to the Guardian, Liverpool has made a offer from Frankfurt to buy Ekitic and is still pursuing Isaac. In this context, whether Newcastle can still retain Isaac has become an open question. Newcastle executives have always claimed that Isaac "will not be sold" this summer and expressed their hope to build a new season lineup around him, but even though Newcastle executives seem to have a firm stance, there are still many questions behind this statement.

The Guardian disclosed that shortly after the club officials met with Isaac's agent, Newcastle suddenly shifted its signing target from the originally planned £30 million level (substituting Callum Wilson, who left the team) to a more expensive target, and finally made an offer to Frankfurt for nearly £70 million to buy Ekitic. Is this just a coincidence?

Secondly, there has been no progress in the renewal of Isaac. Even if he himself is unwilling to renew his contract, the club should at least have a preliminary conversation. Isaac currently earns about £150,000 per week, but Newcastle delayed negotiations on pay raises last summer due to fiscal fairness (PSR) rules restrictions.

Newcastle actually expected that Isaac would not renew his contract this summer. It was originally planned to keep it for another season and sell it at a higher price next summer. But Ekitic's salary is expected to be lower, and he is only 23 years old, nearly three years younger than Isaac. The two have similar styles, both of them are good at roaming on the left and are suitable for counterattack tactics, and Ekitic is less troubled by injuries. Therefore, the transaction logic of selling Isaac and introducing Ekitic has become increasingly convincing.

In addition, although Liverpool denied that it had officially offered Isaac, an intermediary revealed that coach Slott was willing to pay about £120 million for Isaac, which obviously means they received some kind of encouragement - even if it was just acquiesced.

While the Saudi sovereign wealth fund behind Newcastle is well funded, the Premier League’s fiscal sustainability rules force clubs to balance spending and income. For Newcastle, selling players is even more important than signings. Last June, Newcastle barely avoided violating PSR rules. Despite improvements in financial situation, business revenues are still not comparable to Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal.

This summer, Newcastle signed Swedish winger Ellanda from Nottingham Forest for £55 million. If they do not sell players for funds, it will be difficult for them to continue to sign ups. If Newcastle can sell Isaac for nearly £130 million, it will greatly improve the club's financial statements.