Liverpool have now missed their window of opportunity to sign Alexander Isak | OneFootball

There had been media claims for some time that Liverpool were interested in taking Alexander Isak away from Newcastle United.

As it became more and more obvious that the scousers were desperate to bring in a new first choice striker, the media speculation grew and grew.

When once again Alexander Isak dominated the Liverpool defence and this time scored the winner at Wembley in the League Cup final, from late March 2025 onwards it was seen now by the media as Liverpool and not Arsenal which would be by far the most likely destination if the Sweden international did leave St James’ Park this summer.

We got to the end of the 2024/25 season and then the summer transfer window opened on 1 June 2025 and we waited to see what Liverpool would do regarding trying to land Alexander Isak.

Liverpool went on to quickly make a number of expensive signings, including a new Premier League record fee of £116m+ for Florian Wirtz.

As regards Alexander Isak, Liverpool doing absolutely nothing.

Then just as we were getting to seven weeks since the summer 2025 transfer window opened, this has been the Alexander Isak (and Liverpool) timeline.

15 July 2025

Liverpool feed journalists the line that they are willing to pay £120m for Alexander Isak, this appears throughout the media. However, no actual formal offer is made to Newcastle United.

20 July 2025

One of Isak’s agents tells a newspaper in Saudi Arabia; “We are indeed studying and analysing all options and we may be close to finalising the next step for the player.”

24 July 2025

The Newcastle United squad flies out to Singapore to start their Far East tour. The club name the players who were on the plan and both Martin Dubravka and Alexander Isak are missing. The club say that Isak is missing the trip due to a ‘minor thigh injury.’

24 July 2025

The media then all carry the story that Alexander Isak is ‘exploring’ the possibility of moving to another club this summer. Nobody is credited with feeding this to the media but it would appear to obviously be Isak’s representatives.

25 July 2025

A media exclusive states that Newcastle United Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan has personally go involved and insisted that Alexander Isak won’t be leaving the club this summer.

29 July 2025

Newcastle United officially confirm (via Eddie Howe at a pre-match press conference) that not a single offer has been received from any club for Alexander Isak.

1 August 2025

A derisory bid of £110m is finally made by Liverpool for Alexander Isak and is dismissed out of hand by Newcastle United.

2 August 2025

Alexander Isak arrives back on Tyneside having worked with his personal trainer at the Real Sociedad training ground in San Sebastian.

3 August 2025

After the final Far East friendly, a 1-1 draw with Spurs, Eddie Howe is asked whether Alexander Isak will be training with the rest of the Newcastle squad in the coming week.

“You have to earn the right to train with us. We are Newcastle United.  The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team, to be part of a squad. You have to act in the right way.  So that is also at play here. We will make sure that any player does that, to earn the right to train with the rest of the group.  No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal. Of course I’d like him to be at training but whether he will, I don’t know at this moment in time.  We have been here (in South Korea) with the time difference, preparing for training and for games. Other people have been dealing with that situation back at home.”

4 August 2025

Eddie Howe and the rest of the Newcastle United squad arrive back on Tyneside. Media reports say that Eddie Howe will be soon meeting with Alexander Isak.

Alexander Isak reports back to the NUFC training ground.

6 August 2025

The Newcastle United squad return to training on Wednesday morning. Widespread coverage in the media that Eddie Howe has told Alexander Isak to come into the training ground and train and work on recovery from his injury separately in the afternoon, once the rest of the squad have left.

We are now just a week away from the Premier League season kicking off and this is my take on it.

I think Liverpool have now missed their window of opportunity to sign Alexander Isak.

On 24 July the Newcastle United squad flew out to the Far East and then on 4 August they returned.

This was the Liverpool window of opportunity for me.

Of course they should have done the professional thing, acted in the correct manner, made a proper approach to Newcastle United and made a credible offer that was in the same ball park as Newcastle’s £150m+ valuation. Failing that though, Liverpool then set in motion what they did with that media nonsense on 15 July and then there was the 11 day stretch from 24 July and 4 August for them to belatedly go full on and try to sign Isak.

Instead, that time period saw Liverpool instead sign Hugo Ekitike for £80m+ from Eintracht Frankfurt, whilst with Alexander Isak the scousers made a token feeble offer of £110m to Newcastle United.

It doesn’t take a genius to understand, to work out, that Alexander Isak didn’t go on that trip to the Far East because he had been led to believe that Liverpool were going to go all out to sign him, make a serious massive offer that Newcastle United would at least be forced to consider because it came close to their valuation (if they ever decided to sell Isak at any time in the future). That then could see a deal potentially agreed whilst the rest of the Newcastle squad were away, with Alexander Isak then having his medical and agreeing personal terms, then he and Liverpool living happily ever after…

As I say though, instead Liverpool haven’t done anything really in terms of trying to land Isak. Apart from that derisory offer of £110m, Liverpool just playing things out in the media, getting friendly journalists to spin a narrative that they are still seriously trying to buy the Newcastle player.

I think it is anything but that.

Many people are wanting to interpret Eddie Howe making Alexander Isak train on his own yesterday as ‘proof’ that he will be sold to another club, almost certainly Liverpool.

I think that is nonsense.

For me, Eddie Howe on Sunday made absolutely clear that Alexander Isak was going to be punished. His comments about having to earn the right to train with the Newcastle United squad.

This to me is Eddie Howe showing his authority, showing his displeasure with what has been going on, making clear of what he expects from all of his players. Standards.

However, I think this is the equivalent of schooldays detention, a number of days of punishment before Alexander Isak is allowed back into the group as preparations continue ahead of the new season. My guess would be either Friday when Isak will be back with the group ahead of the weekend friendlies, or at the latest on Monday for the final week of training leading up to the Villa match.

I believe that Newcastle United are wanting to make a statement signing up front, such as Benjamin Sesko. However, for Sesko to be in the same team/squad as Alexander Isak this coming season, not to replace him.

The same with when Newcastle were trying to sign Ekitike, to add to Isak, not replace him.

Instead of going full on for Alexander Isak whilst the rest of the NUFC squad were in the Far East, Liverpool put all of their energies into signing Hugo Ekitike and that is that. A derisory offer made for Alexander Isak that was never going to be accepted and then nothing more, Liverpool only doing this token thing to try and convince their fans and their mates in the media that they had been really really serious about trying to sign Isak this summer.