Liverpool Football Club has officially announced the acquisition of Swedish striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United. The transfer, finalized on deadline day, is reported to be a record-breaking deal worth £125 million ($169 million). Isak has signed a six-year contract with the Premier League champions and will wear the No.9 jersey.
The 25-year-old forward expressed his excitement about joining Liverpool, stating, "I feel amazing. It's been a long journey to get here. 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". He added, "I think I have a lot to give, I think I have a lot to improve. I'm a striker but I always want to give as much as possible to the team, mainly goals but much more than that as well. I want to win everything. Yeah, [as simple as that]".
Isak's move to Liverpool ends a summer-long saga that saw him essentially go on strike to force the transfer. Newcastle had initially rejected a £110 million bid from Liverpool for Isak. However, Isak informed the club he wanted to explore his options. His refusal to play for Newcastle ultimately led to the agreement between the two clubs.
Newcastle's decision to sell Isak was influenced by their signing of Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart and their pursuit of Brentford's Yoane Wissa. To replace Isak, Newcastle have reportedly agreed to a £55 million deal for Yoane Wissa.
The transfer fee for Isak surpasses the previous British record of £115 million paid by Chelsea for Moises Caicedo in 2023. Some reports suggest the fee received by Newcastle will be closer to £130 million ($176M) due to solidarity payments. Additionally, Isak's former club, Real Sociedad, will receive 10% of the transfer fee due to a sell-on clause.
Liverpool's acquisition of Isak is part of a busy transfer window for the club. Liverpool have spent more than any club ever has in a transfer window. The Reds also completed the signings of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. However, their attempt to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace fell through.
The departure of Alexander Isak means he will miss out on millions after Newcastle avoided Liverpool transfer clause. The Magpies reportedly negotiated that clause out of Isak's move to Anfield, meaning he will not be entitled to the one-off payment.
With Isak's arrival, Liverpool have added a potent attacking threat to their squad. During his three seasons with Newcastle, Isak established himself as one of the Premier League's leading attackers, scoring 62 goals in 109 appearances for the club. In the previous season, he netted 23 Premier League goals, finishing second in the race for the Golden Boot behind Mohamed Salah.
Sweden head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson expects Isak to join the national team after completing his medical. He acknowledged Isak may not be able to play a full 90 minutes but emphasized his importance to the team. Isak began his career with AIK in his homeland before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2017. After a successful loan spell with Willem II, he signed for Sociedad in 2019 and was the competition's top scorer as Sociedad won the 2019-20 Copa del Rey.
