Liverpool smash British record with £125m Alexander Isak signing from Newcastle

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

In a seismic move on transfer deadline day, Liverpool Football Club has officially confirmed the signing of Newcastle United’s star striker Alexander Isak for a British record fee of £125 million, making it the third most expensive transfer in football history.

The 25-year-old Sweden international has signed a six-year contract with the Premier League champions, donning the iconic No. 9 shirt previously worn by legends like Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler.

The deal, announced at 21:30 BST, caps one of the most protracted and contentious transfer sagas of the summer, pushing Liverpool’s summer spending to a staggering £446 million.

Isak’s move to Anfield eclipses the previous British transfer record of £115 million, set when Chelsea signed Moises Caicedo from Brighton in 2023.

Globally, it ranks behind only Paris Saint-Germain’s blockbuster acquisitions of Neymar (£200 million in 2017) and Kylian Mbappé (£165.7 million in 2018).

Newcastle sources indicate the deal could rise to £130 million with add-ons, reflecting the significant financial muscle Liverpool flexed to secure their top target.

The transfer follows their earlier club-record signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million in June, underscoring Liverpool’s ambition under manager Arne Slot.

The Swedish striker, widely regarded as one of the world’s elite forwards, expressed his excitement in a statement to Liverpool’s official website: “This is the next step for me in my career. I’m super happy that I’ve been given this chance, and I’m very motivated to do something well with it. I want to create history. I want to win trophies. That’s ultimately the biggest motivation for me.”

Isak’s determination to join Liverpool was evident throughout the summer, as he publicly pushed for the move, citing broken promises by Newcastle and an irreparable relationship with the club.

The saga began in July when Isak, who scored 23 Premier League goals last season and a crucial goal in Newcastle’s 2-1 Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool in March, missed a pre-season friendly against Celtic and opted out of Newcastle’s Asia tour, citing a minor thigh injury.

By August, tensions escalated as Isak trained alone at his former club, Real Sociedad, and later went on strike, refusing to play or train with Newcastle’s first team.

On August 19, he posted a statement on Instagram, declaring that “promises have been broken” and that his relationship with Newcastle “can’t continue,” prompting a terse response from the club denying any commitment to let him leave.

Liverpool’s initial £110 million bid in early August was rejected, with Newcastle valuing Isak at £150 million and insisting on signing two replacement strikers before sanctioning a sale.

The Magpies’ stance softened after securing Germany’s Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart for £69 million and Brentford’s Yoane Wissa for £50 million in the final days of the window.

These signings paved the way for Liverpool to re-enter negotiations, culminating in Sunday night’s agreement for a fixed £125 million fee, with loyalty payment savings effectively valuing the deal at £130 million for Newcastle.

Isak’s arrival bolsters Liverpool’s attacking options, joining Hugo Ekitike, signed earlier this summer for £69 million, and Florian Wirtz in a revamped squad that has already recouped £228 million from player sales, including Luis Diaz (£65.5 million to Bayern Munich) and Darwin Nunez (£45 million to Al-Hilal).

Despite failing to secure Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi in a £35 million deal due to Palace’s inability to find a replacement, Liverpool’s transfer window reflects a bold strategy to maintain their Premier League dominance.

The transfer has sparked mixed reactions. Newcastle fans, frustrated by Isak’s actions, labeled him a “greedy bastard” during a recent match, while pundits like Jamie Carragher, who initially questioned the £150 million valuation, hailed the signing as “amazing” for Liverpool.