Liverpool are set to smash the British transfer record after striking a £125million deal with Newcastle United for Alexander Isak.
The agreement, finalised late on Sunday, will see the Sweden international undergo a medical at Anfield on Monday before signing a six-year contract.
The move will officially be completed on deadline day, giving Arne Slot’s side the elite centre-forward they have pursued all summer.
The initial £125m fee eclipses Chelsea’s £115m signing of Moises Caicedo from Brighton in August 2023, making Isak the most expensive player in British football history.
Alexander Isak made it clear throughout the summer that he was eager to leave Newcastle for Liverpool
| PAFor Liverpool, it represents a significant financial gamble but one they believe is justified for a striker who scored 23 Premier League goals last season and had become the focal point of Newcastle’s attack.
Negotiations between the clubs had dragged on for weeks.
Liverpool initially offered £110m plus add-ons at the beginning of August, but Newcastle flatly rejected the bid.
Eddie Howe’s side had been adamant that Isak was not for sale unless a valuation closer to £150m was met.
However, the dynamic shifted dramatically after the 25-year-old made clear his intention to leave.
Isak refused to train with the first team and was omitted from Newcastle’s opening fixtures of the season, a stance that increased pressure on the Magpies’ hierarchy.
Sky Sports say the striker told officials that he no longer saw his future at St James’ Park and was determined to force through a move to Merseyside.
Newcastle’s willingness to compromise was also linked to their success in finding a replacement.
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Newcastle have allowed Alexander Isak to join Liverpool after signing a replacement in Nick Woltemade
|PA
Last week they broke their own transfer record by signing German forward Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart in a deal worth up to £69m.
That move effectively gave Liverpool the green light to return with their record-breaking offer.
The Magpies are not finished in the market either.
With Callum Wilson having departed on a free transfer at the end of last season, Howe is pushing for another addition in attack.
Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Wolves’ Jorgen Strand-Larsen have both been subject to bids, although neither club has so far agreed to sell.
For Liverpool, landing Isak is a statement of intent.
Slot has long admired the Swede’s blend of pace, movement and finishing ability, and the expectation is that he will lead the line for years to come.
His arrival could also ease the pressure on Hugo Ekitike, who has fared admirably since his arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this summer.
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Liverpool are also hopeful of signing Marc Guehi on transfer deadline day
| PALiverpool insiders believe Isak’s age profile and Premier League track record made him the outstanding candidate to spearhead their next era.
In addition to the forward, they're hopeful of signing defender Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace on deadline day as well.