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Alexander Isak's current standoff with Newcastle amid interest from Liverpool is familiar ground for the Swedish forward.

He's made his intentions to leave St James' Park clear, and despite a hefty £110 million ($148 million) offer from the Reds being turned down by the Magpies, the saga continues.

Choosing Borussia Dortmund instead, he cited the Bundesliga outfit's knack for nurturing young stars.



Tuchel distanced himself from the signing in a press conference by claiming he'd never heard of the young player, leading chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke to issue an apology to Isak.

Tuchel was miffed about being left out of the loop on the transfer, curtly directing queries about Isak to: "Talk to [Dortmund sporting director] Michael Zorc [about it]."

Despite Tuchel's subsequent departure, Isak struggled for game time as Dortmund saw three different coaches in just one year

A loan stint in the Netherlands with Willem II proved pivotal in reviving his career before he sealed a move to Real Sociedad in 2019 for a steal at £7.5 million ($10.1 million).

Buyback clause

Dortmund had the foresight to include a buy-back option in the region of £26 million ($35 million) when it sold him

With Isak finding the net regularly for Sociedad, Dortmund mulled over re-signing him as a potential successor to Erling Haaland.

Yet, Isak's preference to remain in Spain led Sociedad to agree on a £5 million ($6.7 million) fee with Dortmund to remove the buy-back clause in the summer of 2021

The Gunners made an attempt to secure his signature in early 2022, but a deal never came to fruition.

Sociedad sporting director Roberto Olabe responded to the speculation surrounding Isak by declaring the club was "well protected" thanks to his release clause, believed to be in the region of £75 million ($100.9 million).

Isak pushes through transfer

The Magpies didn't need to pay the full £75 million to land Isak, though there were fraught negotiations as they worked to complete the deal, ultimately stumping up a club-record £63 million ($84.7 million) for his signature.

Just before the transfer, Sociedad remained confident Isak would remain at the club, with president Jokin Aperribay telling Spanish media: "We did not expect Isak to leave."

Nevertheless, once Isak's representatives made Sociedad aware of their client's wish to join Newcastle, the club's position became untenable
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