Alexander Isak became the most expensive player in the history of British soccer after joining Liverpool for a reported 125 million pounds ($170 million) from Newcastle on Monday, ending the summer transfer window’s biggest saga.
The 25-year-old Sweden striker finally got his wish after openly revealing his discontent at Newcastle in an explosive post on social media in which he claimed the club broke promises about an agreement allowing him to leave for Liverpool.
While agitating for the move, Isak trained away from the main Newcastle squad for weeks and missed the team’s first three Premier League matches of the season — including one against Liverpool.
Liverpool made a reported bid of 110 million pounds for Isak during the offseason and bided its time before coming back with a second, ultimately successful offer for the striker, who netted 23 goals in the Premier League last season to finish second in the scoring chart behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
That has been accepted by Newcastle, which failed last week — after talks with Isak — in a last-ditch attempt to keep him at the Saudi-controlled club.
The transfer was finally announced a few hours after the official closing of the summer window and Isak said it felt “amazing” to join Liverpool on what the team said was a “long-term contract.”
“It’s been a long journey to get here," he said. "But I’m super happy to be a part of this team, this club and everything it stands for. It’s something I’m proud of and I’m really looking forward to it.
“I’m just happy it’s done and that I can get back to work. I’m looking forward to seeing my teammates and the fans, and getting back out there.”
In a terse, 37-word statement announcing Isak's departure, Newcastle confirmed it received a British-record fee, which surpasses the 116 million pounds ($156 million) paid by Liverpool for playmaker Florian Wirtz in July. That in turn superseded Chelsea’s purchase of Moises Caicedo for 115 million pounds ($146 million) in August 2023.
It makes Isak the fourth most expensive player of all time — in dollars — after Neymar (joined Paris Saint-Germain for $262 million in 2017), Kylian Mbappé (joined PSG for $216 million in 2018) and Philippe Coutinho (joined Barcelona in a deal worth $192 million in 2018).
Public spat with Newcastle
Isak — born in Stockholm to parents from the small East African nation of Eritrea — joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022 and established himself as one of the best and most sought-after strikers in the world.
However, he informed Newcastle about a desire to explore his options away from St. James’ Park at the end of last season, saying in his post on Instagram that promises were broken and “trust is lost” with the club.
In a spat that went public, Newcastle released a statement denying making a commitment to selling Isak and effectively saying Liverpool didn’t put up a big enough bid in its first offer. The northeast club — an emerging power in English soccer after the Saudi-backed takeover in 2021 — was in a difficult position, faced with a disgruntled player essentially on strike, and has given in.
By signing two strikers in Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart and Yoane Wissa from Brentford, Newcastle spent the money earned from the Isak sale but at this stage they seem downgrades.
Liverpool's spending spree
As for Liverpool, it’s the most expensive signing yet in a remarkable $570 million summer spending spree made on the back of winning a record-tying 20th top-flight English title. Among the others to join are Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz (for 116 million pounds; $156 million), young French striker Hugo Ekitike and full backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.
The outlay has been offset by the Premier League champions selling the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Jarell Quansah. Liverpool also was quiet in the offseason last season as Arne Slot bided his time before overhauling the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp.
That revamp has been supercharged over the last two months, at considerable cost.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Steve Douglas, The Associated Press
