Alexander Isak Saga Continues: Three Times Liverpool Signed Newcastle's Best Player

Following Alexander Isak's fiery statement about broken promises and Newcastle's swift response, albeit in the dead of night, the smoke won't be settling on Tyneside just yet. The ongoing saga surrounding the future of the Swedish hitman and his desire to join Liverpool is a swirling storm of ambition that’s threatening to reshape more than just Arne Slot's frontline.

However, it seems that the ongoing situation is at somewhat of an impasse, with neither the Reds, the Magpies, nor Isak himself willing to budge on their current position. 

Isak Saga Rolls On 

Let’s deal with the hard figures first. Liverpool’s audacious £110 million swoop for the Toon Army's prized striker was met with the kind of cold defiance that only a club re-emerging among English football’s elite can muster. Newcastle fans will say that their club has made no secret of their stance—a valuation of around £150 million. Pay up, and Isak is yours. Liverpool fans, however, will tell you that the Magpies have made no such statement to the Reds and that they are holding a wantaway striker hostage. 

The 24-year-old Sweden international has taken matters into his own hands. He has refused to train, stated that he will never play for his current club again, and—via a charged public statement—made his discontent blindingly obvious. The former Real Sociedad man has lambasted Newcastle, saying that when "trust is lost, the relationship can't continue." Newcastle, for their part, fired back with a statement as sharp as a North Sea wind: no bullying, no bargains, and no departure short of their full demanded price.

So, where does this impasse leave us? With the Premier League now underway, Reds supporters still have plenty to look forward to. Their 4-2 triumph over Bournemouth on the opening day saw them kick off their title defence in perfect fashion, while the potential arrival of arguably the league's hottest striker certainly whets the appetite. But that's not all. 

Even without Isak yet secured, online sportsbooks currently make Liverpool the favourites to win the Premier League once again this season. The newly launched Lucky Rebel Sportsbook currently has the Reds listed as a 2/1 frontrunner, ahead of both Arsenal and Manchester City. Should the Swedish hitman ultimately head to Merseyside, those odds will surely be slashed even further. 

Over the years, Liverpool have generally tended to get their man when dealing with the Magpies. Here are three occasions when the Reds happily poached the best player on Tyneside. 

Andy Carroll

Transfer deadline day in January 2011 was a wild ride. Fernando Torres, Liverpool’s iconic number nine, had just completed a record £50 million move to rivals Chelsea. Liverpool, in shock and searching for a new talisman, already had a deal for Luis Suarez tied up. Then, they surprisingly turned to Andy Carroll: Geordie hero, force of nature, and the heartbeat of Newcastle’s attack.

The numbers demanded attention. Carroll, just 22, stood at 6’4” and had battered home 11 Premier League goals in 19 matches in his maiden Premier League campaign. However, Liverpool's desperation bred recklessness—the Reds bid £25m, £30m, and finally a shocking transfer record, wiring north of £35 million, to eventually get their man. The deal briefly crowned the towering striker as the most expensive British player in history, but could Carroll’s old-school battering ram style thrive at Anfield?

Things unraveled quickly. Carroll’s time in red was a tale of awkward fits and dashed hopes—his lone flashes of brilliance, such as that thumping FA Cup semi-final winner over Everton, were drowned out by tactical misalignment and repeated injuries. He mustered a mere 11 goals in 58 appearances, a return as bleak as the Merseyside rain. By 2013, he headed to West Ham, but at least the Reds managed to recoup £15m, more than the player was perhaps worth at the time of his departure.

Peter Beardsley

Rewind to the late 1980s and a transfer that signaled Liverpool’s uncanny eye for talent and Newcastle’s perpetual struggle to keep their brightest stars. Peter Beardsley wasn’t just Newcastle’s Player of the Year—twice—he was a conjurer, electrifying the Gallowgate End with balance, vision, and a flair that defied gravity. When Liverpool swooped for a then-hefty £1.9 million in 1987, headlines were written with exclamation marks, not question marks.

Beardsley’s impact at Anfield was instant and profound. He played 175 games, plundering 59 goals, but the numbers tell only part of the tale. Partnering first with John Aldridge and then Ian Rush, Beardsley became the creative metronome of Liverpool’s attack—his dribbling, spatial awareness, and selflessness igniting attacks from deep and wide.

The silverware glistened: two First Division crowns, one FA Cup, and a highlight reel of genius touches. More than a transfer, Beardsley was a pivotal chess piece in a football dynasty, a reminder that some talents need only the right environment to become genuine legends. Newcastle mourned. Liverpool feasted.

Georginio Wijnaldum

Some departures are inevitable, and Georginio Wijnaldum’s was one of them. The Dutchman's Tyneside departure was marked with resignation from St. James' Park and quiet optimism on Merseyside. Having just suffered relegation, Newcastle were left powerless as Liverpool activated a £25 million release clause midfield dynamo. And if ever a player’s narrative arc demanded a bigger stage, it was Gini’s.

At Newcastle, Wijnaldum stood out not just for his goals but his ceaseless energy—he carried a struggling side through sheer will and technical class. Yet it was at Liverpool where he found immortality. Across 237 appearances, the former Feyenoord man provided the tactical glue that bound Jurgen Klopp’s heavy-metal football together. He scored 22 vital goals, but ask anyone: his game was about much more than numbers.

The 2019 Champions League semi-final second leg will echo forever. Liverpool needed a miracle against Barcelona—Wijnaldum delivered. Two goals in four minutes, turning the tie, turning the season, and turning doubters into believers. He was pivotal as Liverpool ascended to Champions League winners and, finally, Premier League champions after a three-decade wait.