It wasn’t easy to get Alexander Isak to Liverpool in the summer. Despite having paid £125m to sign the Swede from Newcastle United, some bad blood remains between the clubs.
Isak saw the deal come through only on deadline day when the Magpies finally decided to give up in the tug of war. The striker was keen on a move to the Reds after hearing about their interest.
The money wouldn’t be of much help to the Tyneside club till winter arrives, as a deadline day transfer meant they weren’t able to find a replacement in time.
Interestingly, when a transfer away from Selhurst Park looked inevitable, Newcastle United had nearly signed Hugo Ekitike as a replacement.
Unfortunately, the Merseysiders took the saga as a no-go and signed Ekitike instead because the transfer of Alexander Isak looked difficult as the days passed by.
This is what tempted the Magpies to keep their gem at Selhurst Park, as Liverpool had stolen their replacement, but the Swede proved stubborn and eventually moved to Anfield.
The 25-year-old striker hadn’t trained or played for the Tyneside outfit since preseason and arrived in Merseyside with hindered fitness. Nonetheless, Newcastle weren’t the only party who were tired of the saga.
Quiz: Name the team Liverpool signed these players from in the 2010s
Liverpool teammate Alexis Mac Allister talks about the Alexander Isak saga
Alexis Mac Allister said that the saga was tiring (Credits: Imago Images)
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister claims that the players at Liverpool were also a bit tired of the saga. However, Mac Allister didn’t mean it in a bad light.
The Argentine continued to express his appreciation of the Swedish striker, talking about what he brings to Anfield and the ways he will strengthen the squad in the future.
“At the beginning, it was a big thing, and after a while, we got a bit tired because it was too long. But we all know the player he is. He is going to be really, really important, and we are happy to have him here.”
“Maybe the other clubs are not happy, but that’s the way football works; they paid quite a lot of money, so I think it’s good for both clubs.”
“It’s good for him because it’s what he wanted, we are so happy to have him because we know the player that he is and we suffered against him a couple of times as well”, Mac Allister told TNT Sports.
