There’s been growing speculation that Newcastle’s owners, PIF, might be quietly supporting Liverpool’s move for striker Alexander Isak. But according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, the Reds don’t actually need any outside help to pull off the deal.
“Liverpool have been quite active in this transfer window, but the truth is they could still have splashed another £200-250 million and stayed within the PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules),” Maguire explained in a chat with BBC Sport.
So far, Liverpool have brought in some big names including Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili, and Armin Pecsi, spending around £265m (excluding add-ons).
On the other hand, outgoing players like Luis Diaz, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher, and Trent Alexander-Arnold have helped the club recover £115m in initial fees.
Still, Maguire remains skeptical about the rumored link between PIF and Liverpool.
“Some fans are connecting the dots and assuming there’s some behind-the-scenes favor trading going on — like a ‘you help me, I help you’ type of deal. But honestly, there’s not enough solid evidence to back that up,” he said.
He added that Liverpool might simply be the main winners in this situation, and there’s no real indication that PIF or Newcastle are pushing for Isak’s departure.
“As for Al Hilal, they had several striker options available. It just so happens that Darwin Nunez is up for grabs — so they decided to explore that path instead.”
