Liverpool have agreed to pay a record-breaking £125 million to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, making it the most expensive transfer in the history of English football.
Sources close to both clubs confirmed to the BBC that an agreement has been reached, with the deal potentially rising to £130m once additional performance-related bonuses are included.
The Swedish striker, who scored 27 goals in 42 appearances for Newcastle last season, is undergoing a medical before signing a six-year contract with the Reds.
Liverpool’s initial bid of £110m in August was rejected, but the club returned with an improved offer, determined to secure their top transfer target before the deadline.
Record-Breaking Spending
The acquisition of Isak surpasses Liverpool’s previous record signing of Florian Wirtz, who joined earlier this summer from Bayer Leverkusen for £100m (plus £16m in add-ons).
With Isak’s signing, Liverpool’s summer spending has reached £416.2m on new players, including Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Armin Pecsi, and Giovanni Leoni.
This makes Liverpool only the second Premier League club in history to spend more than £400m in a single transfer window, following Chelsea’s £401.2m spree in 2023.
Despite this, Liverpool could still add another defender, with talks ongoing over Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.
On the outgoing side, the club has recouped around £190m through the sales of Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tyler Morton, and Ben Doak.
Isak’s Journey to Anfield
Isak joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in 2022 for £60m, becoming the Magpies’ record signing at the time.
During the 2024/25 season, he emerged as the Premier League’s top strikers, leading Newcastle to a Carabao Cup victory in March, where he scored in the final.
However, tensions developed this summer after Newcastle left him out of their pre-season tour to Asia, citing a “minor thigh injury.” Many close to the club suggested that Isak wanted to explore opportunities elsewhere.
The striker later trained alone at Real Sociedad’s facilities, fueling speculation about his future. In late August, Isak publicly expressed frustration, claiming Newcastle had “broken promises” and that their relationship had become “unsustainable.”
Newcastle, however, denied that any promises were made allowing him to leave.
After missing the opening three league matches of the new season—including a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool at St James’ Park—negotiations accelerated, and a deal was finally struck on September 1st.
Historic Transfer Context
Isak’s £125m move makes him the most expensive signing in English football history, overtaking Chelsea’s £107m deal for Enzo Fernández in January 2023.
Other notable £100m+ transfers include:
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Declan Rice to Arsenal (£105m, 2023)
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Moises Caicedo to Chelsea (£115m, 2023)
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Jack Grealish to Manchester City (£100m, 2021)
On a global scale, Isak’s transfer fee ranks third all-time based on base fees, behind only:
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Neymar to PSG (£200m, 2017)
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Kylian Mbappé to PSG (£165.7m, 2018, permanent deal after loan)
It also comes close to the fees for Philippe Coutinho (£142m from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2018) and Ousmane Dembélé (£96.8m rising to £135m from Dortmund to Barcelona).
Arrival at Liverpool
On September 1st, a car believed to be carrying Isak was spotted arriving at Liverpool’s Kirkby training ground, where he is completing his medical.
The move is set to transform Liverpool’s attack, pairing Isak with the club’s other new signings in what has been their most ambitious transfer window ever.
If confirmed, Isak’s arrival will be remembered as one of the biggest and boldest signings in Premier League history.
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