Liverpool had to wait until September 1 to sign Alexander Isak last summer, with all parties suffering as a result - this time, Newcastle appears to have learned its lesson
06:00, 10 Jul 2026
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.(Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Around a year after it emerged that Liverpool was keen to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, it would be fair to say that all parties came out of the saga with some regrets.
Liverpool signed the player, eventually, for a fee of around $169 million (£125 million), but is yet to see the best of Isak. The Swede is finally back up to speed again, though, and a big pre-season awaits.
Isak, who had been on strike to force through the move, was unfit when he arrived and never really got going. Combined with the misfortune of a broken leg, the 26-year-old essentially missed a year because he was absent for so long.
Even Newcastle, though, must be reeling from the way that things unfolded. It did eventually relent on selling Isak, despite insisting for some time that it wouldn't.
While it got a big fee for the player, it didn't spend that money wisely. Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade should improve this season, but neither did much in their debut campaign at St James' Park either.
The evidence of this summer would suggest that Newcastle has learned its lesson. When a player wants to go, there is not usually much point in making them stay.
Alexander Isak of Sweden and Liverpool
Alexander Isak of Sweden and Liverpool(Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Even if Isak had been persuaded to do another year in the North East, he would have gotten his way at some point. By digging in only then to let him go, things dragged on far longer than they needed to.
Already this summer, Newcastle has allowed Anthony Gordon to join Barcelona for around $92 million (£69 million) and then Sandro Tonali made the seemingly sideways step of moving to Tottenham for $133 million (£100 million).
The Magpies might argue that they got good fees for the pair, but the Gordon exit seems to have happened at a reasonable price point. Both players moved on with very little fuss.
Next up? Bruno Guimaraes. Having been knocked out of the World Cup with Brazil, it emerged this week that the 28-year-old would like to sign for Arsenal.
Get Liverpool's new 2026/27 home kit
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
£85
LFC Shop
Buy Now on LFC Shop
Liverpool FC have launched their new home kit for the 2026/27, inspired by iconic adidas strip worn during the club's 1989/90 title-winning campaign.
On the one hand, Newcastle might decide that it can't let everyone go. On the other, it appears to have softened its stance compared to last summer when players ask to leave.
Every club in the world, regardless of how much money it has or where it stands in the pecking order, has to sell as well as buy. And while Newcastle might have wanted to be closer to winning trophies regularly, it isn't that team right now.
It is for that reason that Guimaraes wants to leave: he is at an age where he can't afford to wait if he wants to get the silverware that his level of talent suggests he is capable of.
Article continues below
If Newcastle does let him go, Arsenal could benefit by signing a top player in a way that Liverpool couldn't 12 months back. The job for Eddie Howe then — as his team should have realized much sooner — is to maximize the offer and reinvest wisely.