Liverpool have reportedly decided not to make a second bid for Alexander Isak after their initial offer was turned down. The Reds had an opening £110million bid, plus add-ons, rejected by Newcastle on Friday.

The development followed intense speculation over a potential move. Isak, 25, was left at home for Newcastle's pre-season tour of Singapore, with his absence blamed on a thigh issue. He then rocked club chiefs by informing them he wanted to leave.

Newcastle are said to want £150m for the Swedish striker. That would not only represent a new British transfer record, but make Isak the third most expensive footballer in history.

According to the Daily Mail, the Premier League champions will not meet the valuation with a second offer. With Isak said to be 'unsettled' following Liverpool's advances, they are now prepared to wait and see if their rivals will be happy to keep a discontented player on their books.

There is now the possibility that Arne Slot and FSG could walk away from a deal altogether. The transfer window closes on Monday, September 1 at 7pm, by which time Liverpool would have played three league games.

During the saga, Isak has trained alone at his former club, Real Sociedad. He joined Newcastle in a £60m move from the La Liga side in 2022, since scoring 62 times in 109 club games.

FSG has already spent heavily in this transfer window, signing Florian Wirtz in a deal from Bayer Leverkusen that could potentially be worth £116m. Giorgi Mamardashvili, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez have also arrived on Merseyside.

Another factor in Newcastle's reluctance to sell appears to be their failure to secure a long-term replacement for Isak. Having missed out on Ekitike, they now face a fight from Manchester United to land RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko.