How Liverpool can afford to sign Alexander Isak despite £500m summer outlay | OneFootball

Liverpool remain in a position to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United this summer despite already committing more than half a billion pounds in transfer spending, according to a detailed financial breakdown by The Athletic.

Under new manager Arne Slot, the club has embarked on an ambitious recruitment drive following their Premier League title triumph last season. High-profile arrivals such as Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitiké, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Giorgi Mamardashvili have brought Liverpool’s estimated total commitment — including transfer fees, agent fees, and wages over the length of the contracts — to well over £500 million. Signing Isak, who could command a fee of up to £150 million, would raise that figure closer to £840 million.

Despite this staggering expenditure, The Athletic reports that Liverpool’s financial position remains robust. The club is in a healthy situation under the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), largely due to a profitable 2024–25 financial year and minimal historic transfer debt. In fact, Liverpool had the lowest net transfer debt among the Premier League’s so-called “Big Six” at the end of last season. This, combined with record revenues exceeding £700m and a recently expanded £350m credit facility, has left them with significant financial flexibility.

Moreover, the club has already generated close to £100 million in profit from player sales this summer. The sale of Luis Díaz to Bayern Munich for £65.6m alone produced a book profit of over £48m. Additional profits came from the sales of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen, Nat Phillips to West Brom, and Caoimhín Kelleher to Brentford. These player sales, along with associated wage savings, have helped to offset much of the financial impact of the new signings.

According to The Athletic, the amortised cost of Liverpool’s five new players will be approximately £56.3m in 2025–26. With player sales already bringing in more than that in pure profit, the club’s transfer activity has so far resulted in a net gain for the current financial year. Even the potential addition of Isak — with an estimated annual cost of around £43.4m based on transfer fee amortisation and wages — would only slightly increase Liverpool’s costs for this season compared to 2024–25.

However, The Athletic notes that while Liverpool can afford such spending in the short term, there are longer-term considerations. The recurring costs associated with these deals, particularly if Isak joins, would significantly raise the club’s fixed financial obligations in the coming seasons. Liverpool may eventually need to further increase revenue, reduce wages, or make more major sales — possibly including Darwin Núñez — to sustain this level of investment.

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Still, the current picture is one of strength. Liverpool’s financial planning, under Fenway Sports Group, appears to be carefully structured to allow for major squad investment while staying within regulatory limits. As things stand, the club is not only on solid financial ground but could also make Alexander Isak the most expensive player in English football history without breaching PSR regulations.

The situation remains fluid, but The Athletic concludes that Liverpool’s extraordinary summer of spending may not yet be over — and that Isak’s arrival, while costly, is not beyond reach.

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