Liverpool is being linked with a sensational move for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, although the Reds won't have an easy time trying to take him away from St James' Park

Theoretically, Kelly could be expendable given his squad status. He has made only four Premier League starts this season and just seven in all competitions. With Sven Botman and Emil Krafth fit again, alongside Dan Burn and Fabian Schar, there are four senior centre-halves available to Howe, plus Lewis Hall and Matt Targett at left-back.

Liverpool are reportedly ‘best positioned’ in the race to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.Isak is on the radar of Europe’s top teams after another impressive campaign at St James’

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Isak has certainly filled his boots since completing a club-record move from Real Sociedad in 2022. Remarkably, Isak has bagged 52 goals in just 90 games and the Sweden star became the first Newcastle player ever to score in eight successive Premier League matches earlier this week.

Isak’s latest contribution, a deflected 34th-minute strike and a cool finish after being picked out by Bruno Guimaraes 12 minutes after the break, laid the foundation for victory over Wolves before he set up Anthony Gordon to cement the win 24 hours after Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea and Manchester City all dropped points.

Chelsea dared to test Newcastle's resolve on Isak last June and failed. Given they are also rueful of letting Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento go for relative peanuts on the scale of the big financial picture, it feels like an exciting time to be a Newcastle fan again.

Alexander Isak scored for the eighth straight Premier League game Wednesday to propel Newcastle into the top four.

Newcastle are reportedly interested in signing a top striker who enjoyed a stellar audition against Liverpool this week, potentially indicating that they are open to letting Alexander Isak join Arsena