Alexander Isak has made it clear he wants to leave Newcastle United this summer, with Liverpool already having had a bid rejected for the Swede, and it's not the first transfer saga he's been swept up in
14:52, 08 Aug 2025
Alexander Isak looking frustrated
Alexander Isak is in the midst of a transfer battle with Newcastle(Image: Getty Images)
Alexander Isak's frosty standoff with Newcastle United is an unwelcome situation, but not unfamiliar for the Liverpool transfer target.
After expressing his desire to seek pastures new away from St James' Park, the Reds have seen their whopping £110million bid rebuffed by the Magpies. Despite Newcastle's constant insistence that Isak isn't up for grabs, the 25- year-old has been instructed to train away from the first team after skipping the pre-season tour to Asia.
As it stands, it would be a jaw-dropper if he makes an appearance in Eddie Howe's squad for their Premier League opener against Aston Villa on August 16. Liverpool are still keen on Isak and might put forward a new offer before the transfer deadline.
However, they won't be strong-armed into paying over the odds, even after allowing Luis Diaz to join Bayern Munich and agreeing to sell Darwin Nunez to Al-Hilal. With time running out, we take a look back at the various transfer dramas Isak has found himself embroiled in throughout his career....
Real Madrid snub and Tuchel spat
Alexander Isak with Thomas Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund
The striker was just a teenager when he joined Thomas Tuchel's Dortmund(Image: TF-Images/Getty Images)
During his early years as a rising star at AIK Solna in Sweden, Isak turned heads among numerous European heavyweights, including Real Madrid, reports the Mirror. He agreed a deal with the La Liga titans just after his 17th birthday, only to get cold feet and U-turn on the move at the last minute.
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Instead, he opted for Borussia Dortmund, attracted by their reputation for developing young talent. Chatting with FourFourTwo magazine, he shared: "Everyone knows that Borussia is a top spot for young players to grow because so many of them make it into the first-team.
"I'm keen to play here and I'm biding my time for my shot, and when it comes, I'll grab it." However, his arrival stirred up a bit of a storm behind the scenes between then-gaffer Thomas Tuchel and the club's executives.
Tuchel didn't mince words about Isak not being his pick by confessing in a presser that he'd never even heard of the lad, leading CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke to issue an apology to the player. The now-England manager was livid that he'd been left out of the loop on the deal. When probed about Isak, he simply retorted: "Talk to [Dortmund sporting director] Michael Zorc [about it]."
Tuchel left the club not long after but Isak still found it tough to get a look-in as three different managers came and went within a year. A loan spell in Dutch football with Willem II helped kickstart his career before he made the move to Real Sociedad for a modest £7.5m in 2019.
Buyback clause
Alexander Isak looking ahead during the LaLiga Santander match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona
Isak didn't enjoy the best of times at Borussia Dortmund
Despite letting him go for a relatively small sum, Dortmund slipped a buyback option of around £26m into the deal. With Isak regularly finding the back of the net for Sociedad, Dortmund pondered reeling him back to Signal Iduna Park as a potential successor to Erling Haaland.
However, with Isak set on staying in Spain, Sociedad brokered a £5m deal with Dortmund to bin the clause in 2021. Isak didn't mince his words, stating: "I'm fully aware that there is a clause.
"All I can say is that Dortmund is in my past and not in my future. I'm doing very well here, and I'm not thinking about going back at all. I'm only focusing on Real Sociedad at the moment."
Arsenal's interest
Martin Odegaard and Alexander Isak of Real Sociedad celebrating
The Swede enjoyed a fruitful relationship with Martin Odegaard on the pitch(Image: 2020 Quality Sport Images)
As Isak's star rose, he started turning heads in the Premier League, with Arsenal among those showing interest. The Gunners tried to bag him in early 2022 but couldn't seal the deal.
Sociedad's sporting director Roberto Olabe addressed the buzz around Isak by asserting the club was "well protected" due to his release clause, rumoured to be around £75m.
The Gunners, who've been on the hunt for a top-notch striker for ages, finally hit the jackpot this summer with Viktor Gyokeres' signing from Sporting CP.
Isak pushes for move
Alexander Isak reacts on the pitch
Alexander Isak has been a roaring success at Newcastle(Image: 2025 Newcastle United)
Newcastle didn't have to cough up £75m for Isak's services, though they had to navigate tense negotiations to finalise the transfer, eventually shelling out a club-record £63m for the forward.
Just before the move came to fruition, Sociedad were still banking on Isak sticking around, with president Jokin Aperribay telling Spanish press: "We did not expect Isak to leave."
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However, once Isak's representatives informed Sociedad of their client's desire to sign with Newcastle, they were left with few options. Whether Liverpool will find themselves in a similar situation over the coming weeks is yet to be seen.