Alexander Isak is rapidly turning into one of the most coveted players in Europe, but Newcastle United will resist any attempt to lure him away with a record price tag in excess of £150 million put on the Sweden international.

Newcastle blocked talks to poach Isak last summer by quoting a fee of around £150 million for the 25-year-old, which immediately scared off Chelsea. With 3½ years left on his contract, which Newcastle may well look to extend at the end of the season, the asking price will not be lowered. The world record for a transfer is Neymar’s £198 million move from Barcelona to Paris St-Germain, while the record outlay for a Premier League club is Chelsea’s £106 million on midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.

Although new contract talks were postponed earlier this year, Newcastle want to keep Isak and know an extension will need to be discussed at some point.

Arsenal have long been linked with an interest in Isak, who has scored 42 goals in 68 Premier League appearances, but would struggle to come up with the sort of money needed to open talks at a time when every club in England are struggling to comply with Premier League profitability and sustainability rules.

PSG are the latest club said to be tracking Isak, while there could be interest from the two Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. If Liverpool do not agree a new contract with Mohamed Salah, they could also look at Isak as his replacement.

However, Newcastle sources have stressed they are “relaxed” about the situation and “have no interest in selling” while the player has repeatedly said he is happy on Tyneside.

Isak was bought from Real Sociedad for a club record fee of £63 million in the summer of 2022 and it makes no sense from a business, let alone a football perspective, for the club’s hierarchy to even consider bids under the £100 million mark.

Isak has been one of the most consistent goalscorers in Europe over the past two years, which is bound to lead to speculation about him leaving. Newcastle, though, have been bewildered by much of it, especially the constant Arsenal links, with some suggesting the narrative that he needs to leave the North East is disrespectful and designed to unsettle the player.

After a slow start to the campaign, Isak has scored 11 goals in his last 12 appearances for Newcastle, including his first hat-trick, against Ipswich Town, before Christmas.

“He is calm, cool, he is what you see on the pitch,” said manager Eddie Howe, when asked to sum up Isak’s character and personality. “He doesn’t get overly emotional, which for a striker is a great quality, because that coolness you see and calmness in front of goal is part of his personality.

“He seems to have an extra half a second when other players don’t. With Alex the beauty of his attitude is that he wants to improve. We give him information and he is responsive. He is not a closed shop. He is in no way thinking he has arrived at a certain place. He knows he has to keep adding to his game. The challenge is great for him to keep scoring freely as he is now.

“There is a lot more to come from him. Our job is to help him deliver that.”

Why Newcastle are so confident they can keep Isak

Only Erling Haaland has scored more goals in the Premier League over the past two seasons and that is bound to mean Isak is coveted by a number of elite clubs across Europe.

Isak has a long list of admirers and Newcastle know there will be interest shown in the Sweden international.

For now, they are extremely confident they will be able to resist any attempt to lure him away.

Other than a brief conversation with Chelsea last summer, they have not had to rebuff any approaches since he arrived in the summer of 2022. In turn, Isak has said several times that he ignores any talk about him leaving.

Newcastle are currently fifth in the Premier League and should they qualify for the Champions League again next season, they will have little difficulty persuading Isak to stay.

Even if they only manage to qualify for one of Europe’s less prestigious competitions, they are unlikely to sell and will open new contract talks with the player when the time is right.

At the moment, with 3½ years remaining on his current deal, they are in a strong position in negotiations and a price tag around £150 million is likely to block any potential suitors in January, as well as next summer.

That will not stop the speculation and if someone is willing to pay a world record transfer fee, Newcastle could well be forced to accept, given their own PSR constraints.

But the message is clear: If you want to sign Isak, you will have to set a British record to get him. There are not many clubs – if any – who can offer that sort of money.

What makes Isak one of the most feared marksmen in Europe

He is an all-round striker and his versatility makes him unpredictable, as he is constantly switching positions.

Isak can play as a centre-forward or in a more withdrawn role as a No 10. He can also play on the left flank and cut inside dangerously. The 25-year-old has played in all three positions at Newcastle, and that versatility makes him even more attractive.

Nevertheless, the former Borussia Dortmund and Real Sociedad man is most effective when he is in the middle of the pitch, where he keeps defenders guessing.

At times, Isak will drop into the pocket of space between centre-back and midfield to collect the ball, either spreading play or turning to dribble at the centre-backs. He is a real threat when carrying the ball – among strikers in the league this season he leads the league for total carries (133), carries ending in a shot (12) and carries ending with a chance created (10). A carry is defined as the player moving the ball five metres or more.

At another moment, he is on the shoulder of the last defender and has the speed to run on to passes played in behind, although he has spurned an unusual number of one-on-one chances with the goalkeeper this season. But his shot conversion rate is a healthy 24.7 per cent in 2024 – a figure bettered by only five players to have scored 10 or more goals. Isak’s 24 Premier League goals this year is a tally only bettered by Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer (26 each).

Isak’s close ball control and gangly frame also make him a nightmare to contain. He is a creator as well as a scorer of goals. The comparison with Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry, is obvious because he can get away from his marker with skill as well as speed.

If there is one weakness to his game it is in the air. He has sometimes struggled when isolated, with his back to goal, against strong centre-backs and does not score many with his head, despite notching a brilliant goal against Arsenal from an Anthony Gordon cross earlier this season.

He has also had a difficult time with injuries in the past. They were a feature of his time in Germany and Spain and he has also missed chunks of the season during his time at Newcastle.

Isak was scouted by many clubs when he was at Real Sociedad, but one of the main red flags was his inability to play a full season. That is why Newcastle were able to get him in the first place and interested parties may still have misgivings about handing over more than £100 million as a result.