Newcastle United are facing a summer of uncertainty.
The Magpies are desperate to qualify for European football after Manchester United narrowly pipped them to a spot in the UEFA Europa League last season. Eddie Howe's side have now won eight games on the bounce in all competitions.
It is that kind of form that could see Newcastle fly up the table even further having climbed into the Premier League's top five places in recent weeks. Impressive wins over Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United this season have improved matters but it is the future of one man that continues to hit the headlines.
Can Newcastle United keep hold of star man Alexander Isak this summer?
Arsenal have been desperate for one man for months and so have some other European heavy-hitters. Alexander Isak is hot property and his 15 goals this season show he means business again.
If Newcastle are to miss out on European qualification this year, it does appear as if there is a reluctance to allow the talented Swede to leave St. James' Park. However, the Daily Mail has indicated in recent weeks that Arsenal simply would not be able to afford him. So who would?
“Other than possibly Chelsea, I genuinely don’t think that anybody could afford to buy Alexander Isak; because of the way that the rules are structured with PSR, I don’t think that anybody could afford him," said Newcastle legend Alan Shearer recently via Betfair.
“I’ll never say PSR rules are a good thing - even without them in place, I’m not sure if anybody would be able to go to the price that Newcastle would ask for to sell him.
“I’d guess that they wouldn’t even entertain it. If you’ve paid £63 million for someone and he’s smashing the league up like he is right now, what would the price be?
“I’ve looked at £150m being talked about, but I don’t think that they would even entertain that, why would they? The problem then would be getting somebody in who could do as good of a job.
“That, at the minute, is what everybody needs - a centre-forward. There isn’t a club in the country who wouldn’t go out and buy a centre-forward like Isak if one was available.”
In FourFourTwo's view, Newcastle simply could be bolstered in their hopes to keep Isak simply because nobody would be able to afford him. A modern-day goalscorer is one the hardest things to find in football and we see Isak's fee at close to £150m right now.
Newcastle United are back in Premier League action on Wednesday evening, as they host Wolves.
