Alexander Isak will finally become a Liverpool player on Monday after Newcastle officially accepted an offer from the Premier League champions that will see them pay a British record fee, though the Reds face new competition to add Marc Guehi to their squad on transfer deadline day.
Arne Slot’s side have been chasing the Swedish striker hard all summer but had only so far seen one offer, worth £110m, rejected by Newcastle so far. The saga has since turned into an ugly soap opera as Isak and his camp have attempted to force the Magpies’ hand by forcing his sale – and finally now on deadline day, the 25-year-old looks set to get his wish.
We understand Isak will sign a six-year deal on Merseyside, with personal terms already agreed, and with Isak set to become the most expensive player in British football history at £125m, eclipsing the £116m package Liverpool agreed for Florian Wirtz earlier this summer.
Indeed, with the two clubs holding fresh talks over the weekend to try and reach a resolution to the long-running saga, and with time starting to run out, they finally reached an agreement late into Sunday evening, paving the way for the 139-goal striker to make his dream move before the 7pm deadline.
He will now travel first thing to Merseyside to undergo medical tests and, assuming all goes to plan, will be paraded in a Liverpool shirt before the window slams shut, signing a deal at Anfield through to summer 2031.
Newcastle are understood to have ultimately decided to move the player on, having agreed to sign Germany striker Nick Woltemade, and deciding it best not to keep an unhappy player in Isak on their books. Newcastle, with cash in hand, will now look to spend their money on signing a second striker themselves, with Yoane Wissa of Brentford and Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen the subject of their focus.
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Liverpool paying less than expected for Isak
At the start of the summer, sources told us that Newcastle would demand as much as £150m for Isak in an attempt to throw Liverpool off the scent.
And while PIF did stick rigidly to their demands until the final throes, the fact that Liverpool had yet to raise their initial £110m offer, which was worth £120m with add-ons, left Newcastle with nowhere to turn, and especially as attempts to thaw relations between the player and the North-East side had fallen flat.
“I’ve kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken,” Isak said on August 19. “That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn’t reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors.
“The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time. To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading. When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue.”
Newcastle then made their own response that evening, retorting: “We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer.
“We want to keep our best players, but we also understand players have their own wishes and we listen to their views.
“As explained to Alex and his representatives, we must always take into consideration the best interests of Newcastle United, the team and our supporters in all decisions and we have been clear that the conditions of a sale this summer have not transpired. We do not foresee those conditions being met.”
Ultimately, though, Liverpool have got their way and will now pay Newcastle an initial £125m for the player, which David Ornstein reports could hit £130m with add-ons.
Marc Guehi battle for Liverpool; double Joe Gomez transfer interest
Meanwhile, Liverpool could face disappointment in their quest to land England defender Guehi on transfer deadline day.
That’s amid claims Chelsea have reportedly made a late ‘approach’ to sign the Crystal Palace star as the transfer deadline approaches and in an attempt to cash in on a perceived delay over his planned switch to Merseyside.
Palace, for their part, are attempting to sign a Chelsea defender as his replacement before the window closes.
Should Liverpool land Guehi, it’s suggested Joe Gomez could depart with both AC Milan and Tottenham chasing a deal. However, it’s now understood that Slot will do all in his power to keep the versatile 28-year-old star at Anfield and wants the player.
Isak next: How the Liverpool transfer record has evolved over the years
Florian Wirtz 2025 £116m Darwin Nunez 2022 £85m Virgil van Dijk 2018 £75m Mohamed Salah 2017 £43.9m Sadio Mane 2016 £36m Andy Carroll 2011 £35m Luis Suarez 2011 £22.8m Fernando Torres 2007 £20.2m Djibril Cisse 2004 £14.5m Emile Heskey 2000 £11m
Isak next? These were the last 10 players to become Liverpool's record signing, based on the agreements including add-ons
Isak next? These were the last 10 players to become Liverpool’s record signing, based on the agreements including add-ons