The final day of the Premier League summer transfer window saw Alexander Isak finally land his record-breaking £125m [$169m] move to Liverpool.
After effectively going on strike at Newcastle United – to force an exit from St. James’ Park – the two rivals agreed a deal just hours before deadline.
The saga was initially triggered by Isak’s request to miss Newcastle’s preseason tour of Asia in July as the Sweden international wanted to explore options to leave Tyneside.
As Isak accused Newcastle of ‘breaking promises’ over allowing him to leave if an acceptable offer arrived, the club looked ready to dig in over the situation, with Liverpool’s first £110m [$149m] bid rejected in August.
The former Real Sociedad forward trained alone on his return, after Eddie Howe’s decision to make him ineligible for selection in the opening three games of the season, until the matter was resolved.
Newcastle’s summer has been dominated by Isak, as Howe eventually secured deals to bring in Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa as reinforcements, and rumours emerged over the Magpies squad being frustrated with their departing No.14.
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The tug-of-war between and Newcastle and Liverpool has been a clear disruptor for Howe’s squad but the majority of the team have wished him well over the move.
That point was backed up by centre-back – and Isak’s international teammate – Emil Krafth, who claimed it’s simply part of modern football.
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“There were many who wanted Alex to stay, but you understand how football works. I wish him all the best in the future. For me, Alex is not just a footballer, but a close friend too,” he told Sportbladet.
“The media claimed the locker room was divided. That’s certainly not true. Football players understand each other and we can only wish him the best of luck.
“As Anthony [Elanga] has said, it’s been very chill. No one has said or done anything. It’s just taken out of thin air. You understand his and the club’s situation. Of course, they wanted to keep him, he’s an incredible player.”
Both Krafth and Isak remained on the bench as Sweden kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a 2-2 draw in Slovenia on September 5.
Head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson confirmed his striker is not fit to play 90 minutes after three months with no match action,
Isak could feature against Kosovo tonight as Tomasson aims to bounce back and seal a first World Cup spot for Sweden since 2018.
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