Liverpool near Alexander Isak record transfer as Arsenal line up £43m move

Liverpool close on Premier League record move for Alexander Isak

Liverpool are on the brink of the most expensive signing in Premier League history, closing a deal for Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak that is expected to land between £130 million and £140 million. Barring late drama, the Swedish forward will have his medical on Monday and sign a six-year contract. The agreement, described by people involved as a fixed fee approaching £130 million with performance-related add-ons, follows weeks of pressure from the player’s side and a long standoff over price.

Newcastle initially quoted around £155 million, but Isak’s clear wish to move to Anfield narrowed their leverage. He made it known he did not want to return to Tyneside, and that stance accelerated talks. Liverpool’s persistence, and a package that gives Newcastle guaranteed money up front, proved decisive.

This is the second time in the same window Liverpool have broken the Premier League record, after securing Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen earlier in the summer. With Isak included, Liverpool’s outlay for the window rises to roughly £440 million. The club has offset a chunk of that with about £200 million in player sales, headlined by Darwin Nunez’s move to Saudi Arabia and Luis Diaz’s transfer to Bayern Munich.

The Isak fee is eye-watering, but the structure helps. A six-year contract allows Liverpool to spread the cost across the deal’s length in accounting terms, easing their year-on-year burden. Staged payments and achievable add-ons are standard in deals of this size, and the timing matters too, with clubs keeping a close eye on profit and sustainability rules.

On the pitch, Liverpool are buying flexibility as much as goals. Isak can lead the line, drift wide, or drop in to link play. He is quick, comfortable on the ball, and suited to a front line that presses from the first whistle. Liverpool have been rebuilding their attack over the past two windows and see Isak as the focal point around which the rest of the forwards can rotate.

Isak turns 25 later this month, which fits Liverpool’s push to lock in prime-age talent on long contracts. The expectation is that he steps straight into a key role. The medical is scheduled for Monday, and if all goes as planned, formal confirmation will follow quickly after, giving Liverpool time to register him before the first batch of post-window fixtures.

Inside the club, the thinking is simple: you pay a premium for a proven Premier League forward who can carry a title push and make an immediate impact in Europe. Liverpool moved early this summer in other areas, but they were prepared to wait on the right striker. When Isak indicated Anfield was his priority, Liverpool pushed to finish it before the deadline.

For supporters, this transfer caps a wild summer. The frontline has changed, the wage bill has been rebalanced, and a new centerpiece is arriving. Liverpool’s staff will now focus on bedding in the new faces together, which often takes weeks rather than days, no matter the price tag. The club believes the blend of profiles across the front five will create more threats in different game states, especially against deep, compact defenses that have frustrated them in the past.

What it means for Newcastle, the market, and Arsenal’s late move

Newcastle did not plan to sell their star forward, but the combination of a huge guaranteed fee and a player resolved to leave left them little choice. The club has moved quickly to line up Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade as a replacement. He is not a like-for-like swap in terms of Premier League experience, but Newcastle rate his upside and believe the system around him can carry the transition while he adapts.

The strategy at Newcastle is now twofold: replace the goals and use the funds to strengthen depth. Isak’s sale frees space to invest in more than one position, which matters as they manage European and domestic demands. The recruitment team has been active in the final hours of the window, sounding out forwards and wide players while they finalize the Woltemade move.

This deal also sends a message across the league. Premier League clubs still have the appetite and capacity to do nine-figure transfers when the player fits their plan. Top sides are using longer contracts to manage costs, balancing big buys with significant outgoings. Liverpool’s numbers this summer—spend close to £440 million, sales around £200 million—show how the model works when the pipeline of departures is strong.

The move will be remembered for the negotiation dynamics as much as the price. Player preference has become a defining factor in these deals. Once Isak made Anfield his choice, it shaped the talks. Fewer suitors meant fewer bidding wars, but it also gave Liverpool confidence to keep their offer below Newcastle’s initial valuation while maintaining a strong fixed component.

What happens next? Liverpool get the striker they wanted, and Newcastle reset quickly with a new focal point. If Woltemade settles, the gap may be smaller than expected. If he needs time, Newcastle will lean on their wide players and midfield runners for goals while they adjust the front line’s movement and service into the box.

There’s also the wider squad picture at Liverpool. With Isak arriving, minutes will shift across the forward line. Younger attackers will have defined roles off the bench and in cup games, while the staff manage workloads to avoid soft-tissue injuries early in the season. Expect Liverpool to emphasize patterns that suit Isak’s movement—early balls into the channels, quick combinations at the edge of the area, and crosses pulled back to the penalty spot rather than floated to the far post.

Arsenal are working on their own late business, closing in on a signing worth around £43 million. The identity of the player remains under wraps for now, but the timeline suggests they have been advancing it in parallel with other targets and are ready to finalize before the deadline. The fee points to a player expected to contribute immediately, rather than a long-term project.

The final hours of the window are messy, and this one has been no different. Clubs across Europe have been pushing paperwork to the edge, juggling exits and loans to clear room for late arrivals. In England, the headline is Liverpool’s move for Isak, but the ripple effects will be felt from Tyneside to North London as squads take their final shape.

For now, all eyes are on Monday’s medical. If it goes as planned, Liverpool will announce a landmark deal, Newcastle will pivot to their new No 9 plan, and another summer of record numbers will be in the books.

• Deal: Liverpool to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle for a fee near £130m, rising with add-ons.
• Contract: Six years, locking in a prime-age forward through 2031.
• Liverpool’s window: Around £440m spent; about £200m recouped from sales including Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz.
• Newcastle’s response: Move for Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade to lead the line.
• Arsenal: Closing on a separate £43m transfer as the deadline approaches.