Liverpool transfers: Alexander Isak’s Premier League record transfer exit from Newcastle United has been a major talking point this season.
Liverpool broke the Premier League transfer record when they signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for £130million on transfer deadline day.
Isak became the most expensive Premier League player of all time but has so far failed to live up to that tag with various fitness problems limiting him to just three goals in 16 appearances for his new club.
The Swedish striker is nearing a return from injury having not played since December. But so far, Liverpool have seen little return on their significant investment.
‘A good sale’ for Newcastle United
While Newcastle have struggled to cope with the loss of Isak on the field, the club’s chief executive officer David Hopkinson insists it was a good sale as maximum value was extracted for a player who ultimately wanted to leave.
“To me, Isak was a good sale,” he said. “I wasn’t here for the Isak situation, so I don’t want to comment on something I didn’t see first-hand. What I do know is that players that leave this club will need to do so on our terms.
“I don't want to comment on what he was or wasn't allowed to do. What I will tell you is when he left, he left on a Premier League transfer record.
“That's what the best sports organisations are always going to do: Know when it's the moment to extract the maximum value for an asset, a player or otherwise, to drive the club forward to a higher altitude.”
Similar sales could follow for Newcastle this summer with the likes of Sandro Tonali, Tino Livramento, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes all linked with moves away from the club.
A big purchase for Liverpool
The Premier League record transfer of Isak to Liverpool felt like the best deal for all parties at the time. Newcastle were getting a significant fee, Isak was getting the move he had tried all summer to secure and Liverpool were getting one of the best strikers in the world.
But Isak’s lack of impact during his first season on Merseyside has seen his value depreciate significantly this season.
Leading transfer website, Transfermarkt, estimates true market values for every player. Isak’s value peaked at £122million upon signing for Liverpool but since then, his value has plummeted.
Isak has seen the biggest value decrease of any player in world football during the 2025/26 season with his value dropping, as per Transfermarkt, £35million to £87million as things stand.
That drop can be explained by Isak’s injury, but it is still a significant decrease, only rivalled by Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, who has seen his value drop from £131million at the end of the 2024/25 season to £105million today.
Newcastle also saw a significant drop with another Swedish summer transfer. Anthony Elanga joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest for £55million but has ultimately struggled to make an impact despite a recent brace in a 7-2 Champions League defeat at Barcelona.
Elanga’s value on Transfermarkt peaked at £48million when he joined Newcastle, but has since dropped to £35million.
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