Liverpool plan next steps for blockbuster £190m transfer raid involving Alexander Isak

Liverpool are ready to go all out on a £150m-plus trolley dash before the end of the summer window. They have got Alexander Isak in their sights and will make a move - if they are given any encouragement from Newcastle that a deal can be struck.

Isak is already on strike, has made it clear he wants to go to Liverpool and now it could just be a case of whether Newcastle can sign replacements after having a second bid of £55m turned down for Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.

There is also a growing confidence that a deal for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi could still happen before Monday’s deadline.

Palace are keen to get Thursday’s Europa Conference League play-off with Fredrikstad out of the way while they are also looking to bring in defensive reinforcements.

Palace chairman Steve Parish is likely to want around £40m but Guehi only has a year left and could leave on a free next summer. Liverpool are certain to want to negotiate a lower price.

There is no other serious club in for him in this window but Manchester City would certainly be ready to move if he was available for nothing next year.

That leaves Palace with a huge dilemma and, having turned down around £70m for Guehi last summer, Parish admitted last week they may have to sell because they cannot afford to lose him for free.

It will also be a race against time for Liverpool on Isak and any potential deal still remains in the balance as the Sweden striker reiterated his stance to Newcastle directors this week. The Newcastle hierarchy had been hoping to reach a peace agreement.

Liverpool have had one bid rejected of £110m and Newcastle have been demanding £150m but the deal is just as likely to hinge on whether Eddie Howe can replacements in.

Wolves are adamant they will not sell Strand Larsen while Brentford have snubbed a £40m bid for Yoane Wissa and that is the key to any Isak deal.

Isak, who has been training alone since missing Newcastle’s pre-season tour, has not played in either of the opening two games and he is now likely to play for Sweden ahead of Newcastle.

Sweden have called him up for their World Cup qualifiers with Slovenia and Kosovo next month. Sweden coach Jon Dahl Tomasson said of Isak's call-up: "I am very happy that Alexander Isak wants to be in the squad, he is a huge player.

"The situation he is in is not perfect and he has not trained with the team. But he is a player who can decide matches and he wants to be part of our squad, the World Cup is important for Alexander Isak.”

Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes has also revealed that he has not spoken with Isak during the whole transfer saga. Guimaraes told ESPN Brazil: “I haven’t had any contact with him. We’ve been training in the mornings, and he trains at a different time, when no-one from the team is around.

“As captain, and for us players, it’s a tough situation because we want to have the best players with us. That’s something we can’t control. The club, the management, the owners are dealing with it, and I hope it gets sorted out in the best way.

“We’re really missing our striker, a player who scored more than 20 goals in the Premier League last season, so of course he’s someone we feel the absence of. We hope to have our best player back. But unfortunately, this is a situation that neither I nor any other player can control.”

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