Saudi PIF set for major ‘power play’ involving Ekitike & Isak after Liverpool’s dirty tactics

Newcastle United find themselves at the centre of an intense transfer storm involving Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, and Liverpool, with tensions rising and strategies shifting behind the scenes.

What started as routine summer business has escalated into something far more significant, touching on the club’s long-term ambitions, the influence of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), and a battle of power and pride in the Premier League.

Reports from David Ornstein have confirmed that Liverpool recently approached Newcastle regarding both Isak and Ekitike, with Jurgen Klopp’s side clearly looking to reshape their forward line.

However, Newcastle have remained firm in their stance: Isak is not for sale under any circumstances. The club has made this position clear not only to the Merseyside club but to the wider footballing world.

And rather than being rattled by Liverpool’s probing, Newcastle have chosen to respond with strength, not submission.

According to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards, the message from Yasir Al-Rumayyan and the PIF board is unwavering.

Rather than being pressured into selling one of their most valuable assets, Newcastle are doubling down. They view Liverpool’s approach for Isak as an attempt to destabilise their plans, and instead of backing down, they are using the moment to accelerate their move for Ekitike.

Edwards describes the situation as a “power play,” with the Magpies prepared to flex their financial and strategic muscle in a way that leaves no doubt about their intent.

Newcastle’s opening bid of £65 million for Ekitike has already been rejected by Eintracht Frankfurt, yet discussions with the player’s representatives have reportedly been positive.

The club remains confident that a revised offer will break the deadlock and bring the 23-year-old French striker to Tyneside—this time not as a replacement for Isak, but as his strike partner.

The pursuit of Ekitike dates back to his breakout spell at Reims, where Eddie Howe first identified him as a long-term target.

With Callum Wilson’s future uncertain and Newcastle aiming to build a squad capable of competing across multiple competitions, landing Ekitike now would represent a statement of both ambition and direction.

It also sends a clear message: Newcastle will not be bullied, especially not by direct rivals with European ambitions of their own.

Internally, there is a belief that Liverpool’s very public interest in Isak was a calculated move—an effort to trigger instability. Instead, it has galvanised Newcastle’s leadership.

PIF, already determined to guide the club to elite status within five years, views this summer window as critical to that mission. Letting Isak go now would undermine the momentum and narrative they’ve been building.

Signing Ekitike, on the other hand, signals progression, resilience, and an unwillingness to buckle under pressure.

The outcome of this saga will have long-term implications for Newcastle United’s trajectory. Should they secure Ekitike while keeping hold of Isak, it would not only bolster the squad but also solidify the club’s stance as a rising powerhouse unwilling to be dictated to by traditional heavyweights.

In a summer already filled with headlines, this emerging chapter is beginning to define Newcastle’s next era—and PIF intend to write it on their own terms.