Liverpool have broken the British transfer record to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for £125m on deadline day. The 25-year-old Sweden international underwent a medical on Merseyside before signing a six-year contract worth around £300,000 a week. The deal surpasses the previous British record set earlier this summer when Liverpool paid £100m plus add-ons for Florian Wirtz.
The transfer caps a long and acrimonious saga. Newcastle rejected a £110m bid on 1 August, insisting Isak was not for sale. However, the striker subsequently refused to play in pre-season friendlies, did not travel on the club's Asia tour citing a thigh injury, and trained alone at his former club Real Sociedad. Isak accused Newcastle of breaking a commitment to let him leave if a suitable offer from a big club arrived, and told a delegation including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund last Monday that he would never play for the club again.
Newcastle accepted the £125m fixed fee with no add-ons, and the cancellation of loyalty bonuses makes the deal effectively worth £130m to them. The Magpies had already signed Nick Woltemade for £70m and Yoane Wissa from Brentford for £55m as potential replacements. Isak said: 'I want to create history. I want to win trophies. That's ultimately the biggest motivation for me and I feel like this is the perfect place for me to grow.'
Liverpool also attempted to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi on deadline day. Palace accepted £35m plus £5m in add-ons, and Guéhi had a medical in London. However, Palace pulled out of the deal after failing to sign an experienced replacement. A bid for Brighton's Igor Julio fell through, and another move for a higher-profile centre-back also failed. Palace manager Oliver Glasner was furious at the decision to sell his captain and feared he might step down. Guéhi is in the final year of his contract and has no intention of signing an extension; Liverpool may renew their interest in January.
