£130m Alexander Isak is looking an outstanding deal | OneFootball

Alexander Isak dominated the summer for both Liverpool and Newcastle United.

Indeed, the ‘would it happen?’ became the story that dominated the summer transfer window across the media.

It eventually did happen, on deadline day, Newcastle United banking £130m and Liverpool getting Alexander Isak.

When the transfer was officially confirmed, the universal verdict was that Liverpool had ‘won’ and Newcastle United had ‘lost’, in this transfer saga.

When we all had to endure day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute coverage of this saga throughout July and August, my intent was the same as the vast majority of other Newcastle United fans. Alexander Isak shouldn’t be sold.

Alexander Isak shouldn’t be allowed to force a transfer via such appalling behaviour.

Liverpool shouldn’t be allowed to force a transfer either, via their own appalling behaviour throughout the summer.

Alexander Isak’s agent should most definitely not be allowed to profit after the way he had conducted himself throughout.

By not allowing Isak to force a transfer by going on strike, it would deter any other NUFC player in the future doing the same.

More than anything though, Alexander Isak had overall been a brilliant player for Newcastle United the past three years and somebody we wanted to keep doing the same, especially his goalscoring for NUFC.

Then it did happen.

Alexander Isak was sold by Newcastle United for £130m to Liverpool on 1 September 2025, Eddie Howe bringing in Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, to replace Isak and Callum Wilson who had left as a free agent and eventually signed for West Ham.

It was a bit like the final whistle of a match having been blown, especially as the transfer window closing coincided with the start of the September international break.

Nobody knows what will happen longer-term, but as we now head into the next international break, I think I have got my head around it all and can make a more balanced judgement.

For me, £130m Alexander Isak is looking an outstanding deal for, Newcastle United.

Isak did really well for United and scored a lot of goals, played well in a lot of matches, but now the spell has been broken and he has left, I think this ended up an unbelievable deal for NUFC.

In terms of pure cash, the transfer cash from Alexander Isak has paid for both Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, the two strikers of the quality we needed, with Isak insisting he left and time and injuries catching up with Callum Wilson.

From a PSR point of view though, the £130m for Alexander Isak is far far more helpful for Newcastle United than just the basic cash that is banked. It gives United far more PSR flex and power going forward into the January window and beyond, over and above the cash coming in.

I think the spell has been broken as well, in that we had all became obsessed with this £150m ‘valuation’ of Alexander Isak, a valuation that came from the imagination of a journalist and not from Newcastle United themselves.

The bottom line is that Liverpool broke the record paid by a Premier League club for a player when they agreed the £116m Florian Wirtz deal, then they smashed it out of all recognition with the £130m for Alexander Isak  and paying him the kind of wages to match that record breaking deal.

Alexander Isak has cost way more than any other previous Premier League buy and hand on heart is he amongst the very very best players we have seen in recent decades? I think he is good, very good when he is on his game, but amongst the very very best? I don’t think so.

At Newcastle United we saw very encouraging signs of just how Nick Woltemade (and Yoane Wissa as well I think) is going to complement what the likes of Gordon and Elanga give this NUFC side, as well as Tonali, Bruno and others as well.

At Liverpool, it may only be early days, but watching their games so far, I just don’t think having both Salah and Isak in the same team works for them. Ekitike and Salah much more so, in my opinion.

Salah is the main man at Liverpool, Alexander Isak isn’t, unlike when he was at Newcastle United and Eddie Howe always tried to play to his strengths, fit the team around him to suit.

At Liverpool, Mo Salah was never one for tracking back too much and as time has marched on, he is now a 33 year old who doesn’t really come back much at all.

Which is then complicated when unlike Ekitike, Isak isn’t exactly the hardest working striker either, in terms of chasing down and/or tracking back. Can Slot really play both of them in the same team?

I am already seeing Liverpool fans slagging off Alexander Isak, questioning his signing, especially for the money he cost.

That is their problem now.

However, from my Newcastle United point of view, I am quite comfortable now with the £130m sale of Alexander Isak. It was a nightmare at the time in the summer when it was all going on BUT now I have woken up and I’m seeing things a lot more clearly.