Explained: Why Newcastle would benefit more from selling star striker Alexander Isak to rivals Liverpool instead of Saudi side Al-Hilal

With concrete interest coming from both Liverpool and Saudi Arabian giants Al-Hilal, Newcastle supporters are bracing themselves for an exit that now seems more likely than not. Yet while fans would prefer to see him go abroad rather than strengthen a Premier League rival, The Athletic suggests that parting ways with Isak in a domestic deal could be far more beneficial for Newcastle's long-term finances.

Liverpool are willing to negotiate a deal worth around £120 million ($161m) for the Swedish attacker. To accommodate this massive investment, the club are open to offloading key players such as Harvey Elliott and Darwin Nunez, with winger Luis Diaz also being eyed by Bayern Munich.

Meanwhile, the Magpies are reportedly hoping for a £150m ($201m) fee for Isak, and both Al-Hilal and Liverpool are considered the only realistic suitors who can afford such an amount when including wages and agent commissions, pushing the overall cost close to £250m ($335m). But Premier League and UEFA financial rules complicate matters, particularly because both Newcastle and Al-Hilal share ownership ties through Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

In the Premier League, any transfer between two clubs with shared ownership is subject to a mandatory "fair market value assessment" to ensure the fee isn't artificially inflated. This means that even if Al-Hilal were to pay a record sum for Isak, the amount Newcastle could officially claim as profit under the league’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) might be significantly reduced, especially if regulators deem the transaction to exceed reasonable market value.

UEFA’s regulations are even more unyielding. For clubs involved in European competitions, such as the Champions League, deals between entities under common ownership are considered to generate zero profit in Financial Fair Play calculations. In other words, a blockbuster deal with Al-Hilal would have no positive impact on Newcastle’s FFP status.

On the contrary, if Isak were to join Liverpool, the entire transfer fee would count toward Newcastle’s PSR and FFP assessments, giving the club a much-needed financial boost while staying compliant with regulations. This is compounded by Isak’s own preference to continue playing in the English top flight. Remaining in the Premier League keeps him in one of the world’s most competitive leagues, maintaining his exposure at the highest level.

Isak has already put in a transfer request to Newcastle, and subsequently, he has been left out of the Magpies' pre-season squad. And with such massive financial implications of the transfer, selling the Swede to Liverpool might be the only prudent option given the current PSR regulations.