Alexander Isak moment against Liverpool was turning point in wanting to leave Newcastle
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Alexander Isak's game-winning goal against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final last season was reportedly immediately followed by a drop in the striker's motivation levels.
After an unsavory transfer saga, Isak completed a Premier League-record switch from Newcastle to Liverpool on deadline day, becoming Liverpool's sixth major signing of the summer.
The Telegraph reports that Isak first wanted to leave in 2024, but while he eventually knuckled down last season, it is claimed that he became withdrawn and demotivated following Newcastle's victory in the Carabao Cup final, seemingly feeling that he had achieved all that he wanted to as a Newcastle player.
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That Carabao Cup success was Newcastle's first domestic trophy since the 1950s, while Isak also helped Newcastle to qualify for the Champions League during two of his three seasons with the club.
The Telegraph also reports that Newcastle offered Isak a lucrative new contract, which would have included a release clause in a bid to convince him to stay at the club for one more season.
Toward the end of the 2024-25 campaign, though, the Swede's desire to move on had only strengthened, so much so that Isak eventually told Newcastle in the off-season that he would never play for the club again.
In August, Newcastle co-owner Jamie Reuben visited Isak's home in a bid to convince him to stay for one more season, telling him that the offer of a new contract containing a release clause of between £120 million ($161 million) and £130 million ($174 million) — which had first been mentioned earlier in the summer — was still on the table.
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Isak trained with Sweden after completing his Liverpool move.
Clearly, Isak was not willing to entertain the prospect of another season in the North East, and his transfer to Liverpool was completed on deadline day.
"I feel amazing," Isak told Liverpool media after sealing his move to Merseyside
But I’m super-happy to be a part of this team, this club and everything it stands for
It’s something I’m proud of and I’m really looking forward to it."
Explaining why Liverpool was the club that Isak wanted to join, he said: "I think it’s a mixture of what the club is building, but what they’re building on top of what the club already is