If you’ve been following European football, you have most likely heard about the transfer of Alexander Isak to Liverpool Football Club from Newcastle United.
Isak started his career at age 16. He moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2017, which significantly enhanced his development. After playing with Borussia Dortmund in Germany, he transferred to Real Sociedad.
This move further advanced his career, with many goals and performances, eventually leading to a transfer to the English club Newcastle United, where he has been since 2022. Newcastle United has traditionally been a lower-table team, meaning they are not among the top clubs. They haven’t won a trophy since 1955 and have experienced seasons so poor that they were relegated to England’s second division.
Since joining Newcastle United, Alexander Isak has helped them finish in the top 4 in the league, a major achievement for Newcastle. This qualified them for the Champions League, the most prestigious trophy a club can win. Isak performed exceptionally well, scoring 62 goals in 3 seasons, with two of those seasons featuring over 20 goals. His contributions were so impactful that in March 2025, Newcastle ended their trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup with a victory over Liverpool and again finishing high in the league standings, qualifying for the Champions League.
After a successful spell with Newcastle United, Liverpool made a €100 million bid for Isak, which was rejected. This angered not only Liverpool but also Alexander Isak, who wanted a move to Liverpool. He believed Liverpool was a bigger and better club, which created tensions with Newcastle as he pushed for a transfer. This situation attracted media attention, made it public, and upset Newcastle United fans, who felt his actions were unacceptable.
I spoke with a Premier League supporter, senior Austyn Murphy, and asked how he felt about Alexander Isak pushing himself out of Newcastle United.
“Isak needed to go to a better club,” he said, and also believed this move was “Right for his career,” which is the opposite of what other fans think. This leaves me wondering how real professional players feel about this and how it might impact players’ relationships with their clubs. Are they going to start doing this more often, or will they oppose it?
