NEWCASTLE have released a blunt 37-word statement after confirming Alexander Isak’s record departure to Liverpool.
The Swede went on strike to force through a move to Anfield.
He trained at former club Real Sociedad during pre-season before undergoing individual sessions away from his team-mates.
Isak, 25, failed to feature in Newcastle’s opening three Prem games before sealing a deadline day move.
Liverpool agreed a British-record £130million fee with Newcastle late on Sunday.
They then wrapped up a deal for the striker with help with from a deal sheet they submitted to finalise the transfer beyond the Monday 7pm deadline.
After the deal was completed Newcastle confirmed the news with a blunt statement.
It read: “Newcastle United can announce the sale of striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool for a significant British record transfer fee.
“The Sweden international joined the Magpies from Real Sociedad in 2022 and made 109 appearances in all competitions.”
Newcastle finally gave the green light for the move after signing striker Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart.
Isak to Liverpool transfer saga timeline
- JANUARY: First links to Liverpool emerge
- FEBRUARY: £150million record fee mooted
- MARCH: Isak denies Newcastle contract talk
- APRIL: Eddie Howe hails Isak as “very professional.”
- MAY: Howe insists Isak will not be sold
- Last match in Newcastle shirt
- JUNE: Transfer links to Liverpool heat up
- JULY: Flies with Newcastle for Austria training camp
- Left out of Celtic friendly
- Liverpool hijack Toon’s Hugo Ekitike deal after making Isak enquiry
- Doesn’t travel for pre-season tour of Singapore and South Korea, citing injury
- AUGUST: Training by himself at Newcastle
- Liverpool have £110m bid rejected
- Isak stops training and goes on strike
- Moves out of his apartment
- Releases angry statement blasting ‘trust has been lost’
- Newcastle respond by insisting he won’t be sold unless it benefits club
- Misses Newcastle’s first three games of season, including 3-2 defeat to Liverpool
- Newcastle relent and will accept £130m with 24 hours of window left
- Liverpool have £130m bid accepted on Aug 31
- SEPTEMBER: Isak travels to Liverpool for medical on deadline day morning
- Liverpool announce British record signing on deadline day at 9.30pm – two-and-a-half hours after transfer window closes
- Takes No9 shirt at Anfield
- Newcastle release blunt 37-word statement confirming exit
They have also sealed a £55m deal to sign Yoanne Wissa from Brentford.
That means Eddie Howe has found his replacements for both Isak and Callum Wilson, who was released and subsequently joined West Ham.
And on a busy night, Isak broke his silence on the move too.
When asked what drew him to Anfield, he told the Kop club’s official website: “It’s a mixture of what the club is building.
“But what they’re building on top of what the club already is.
“The history of the club,” Isak told Liverpoolfc.com, when asked why Anfield is the place for him.
“Me getting the chance to be a part of this, I want to create history. I want to win trophies.
“That’s ultimately the biggest motivation for me and I feel like this is the perfect place for me to grow even further and to take my game to the next level and help the team as well.
“I feel like this is the next step for me in my career.
“I’m super-happy that I’ve been given this chance and I’m very motivated to do something well with it.”
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