Hurry up, Newcastle - or Liverpool will land a Brazilian superstar instead

Newcastle United, you really need to hurry up. Otherwise, Liverpool have a Brazilian superstar to sign.

Newcastle United don’t want to lose Alexander Isak this summer. Or rather, they do - they just want to make sure they have some sort of replacement before accepting Liverpool’s inevitable second offer.

The Magpies have already rejected one offer from the Reds. A second, worth slightly more, would probably be accepted.

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But again, that only happens if Newcastle sign a striker. Callum Wilson, their only other senior forward, left the club this summer with the end of his contract. If Isak also leaves, they’ve got no one left.

Attempts to sign strikers have failed again and again. Hugo Ekitiké picked Liverpool, Liam Delap picked Chelsea, Joao Pedro also picked Chelsea, and Benjamin Sesko picked Manchester United.

Yoane Wissa did pick Newcastle, we should say. Only, Brentford want an incredible amount of money for that one to happen.

So as things stand, Isak is ‘stuck’ with Newcastle as they can’t really afford to lose him. But they’re running out of time here.

Liverpool can and surely will move on if nothing happens.

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Liverpool have the Rodrygo option

As Jamie Carragher got across in the Telegraph, Liverpool do need to have a plan B. They really can't expect to compete without another forward in the squad - they lack the numbers to be genuinely versatile.

They can perhaps get away with Ekitiké being the only natural striker if they have more wingers available to allow for Cody Gakpo or Mo Salah moving centrally at times. Right now, though, it only works if everyone remains fit all the time.

Someone's got to arrive and that's not easy this late in the transfer window. But as AS made clear on Friday, Real Madrid are still open to moving Rodrygo on.

Rodrygo has been linked with Liverpool plenty this summer as he's fallen out of favour in Madrid. He's also someone the Reds have tracked for a very long time - their interest dates back to before his major breakthrough at Santos.

And he's almost certainly the best possible signing that isn't Isak. He must be the alternative to boost this Liverpool squad in an elite way should Newcastle never make their star available.

The Reds have got to sign someone and so if the Magpies want that money, they've got to hurry up. Because Richard Hughes and co. do have an alternative here.

And they might just need to go with him.

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