.com's, take;
Red menace:
Isak: inevitable update
Latest: The Times claim that a contract extension and substantial increase on his wages was offered to Alexander Isak by Newcastle but rejected.
Earlier: Following confirmation of Alexander's Isak absence from the touring squad, the Mail are reporting that the player "told Newcastle he wants to explore a move away from the club" during the current transfer window.
They stress that no formal transfer request has been made by the 25 year-old, no bids have been received and the player is not for sale according to his current club.
None of those things matter though; the message is clear. A concerted campaign from the North West involving briefings to sympathetic media outlets has succeeded in unsettling the player and encouraged his representatives.
This latest development will doubtless prompt a backlash against Isak from disgruntled Newcastle fans, which will then be advanced as a reason for his inevitable exit.
How much blame can be attached to United is debatable, but a turnover of director level personalities hardly helps paint a picture of a club with a coherent strategy.
Rightly or wrongly, there's a feeling the project has stalled and the grand off-field plans of PIF remain unannounced.
Ultimately though it comes down to money. The Premier League have ensured that the Magpies cannot match the salary offered elsewhere - and cannot reject the offer made to them in exchange for their prize asset.