Alexander Isak Tried To Sabotage Newcastle's Champions League Hopes: Report

Last Updated:September 02, 2025, 16:14 IST

In a bombshell report, Newcastle United have accused Alexander Isak of 'behaving' in a way aimed at derailing the club's Champions League run to make his Liverpool switch easier.

Alexander Isak has transferred to Liverpool in a record deal. (AP Photo)

Liverpool’s new record signing, Alexander Isak, has been accused of ‘behaving’ in a way to make sure Newcastle United did not qualify for the coveted UEFA Champions League (UCL). According to a report in The Telegraph, Newcastle insiders found Isak ‘quiet, withdrawn’ and not motivated to achieve more at the club after the League Cup win in April, knowing that if the club qualified for the UCL, it would make his exit difficult.

Isak became the record third most expensive transfer in football history with a deal worth £130m (Rs. 1,535 crore). That’s almost double the amount that Newcastle paid for him to the Spanish club Real Sociedad in 2022. Ultimately, Newcastle did qualify for the UCL and Isak is now Liverpool’s new Number 9, but it was one of the most dramatic transfers in the history of the Premier League.

Liverpool bid £110m early in the window, but the Magpies rejected it immediately, and the negotiations stretched on till deadline day and only then could the two clubs reach an agreement. Liverpool, the defending champions, were Isak’s preferred champions, but Newcastle is on a serious upward trajectory, with eye-watering funding from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The Telegraph report said that before the League Cup, although Isak’s agents were looking for options, the relations were amicable and Newcastle resolute in their stance of not selling their biggest player. However, after seeing Isak’s attitude change, the club decided to be more open to a sale.

Tensions flared up in May when Isak told the club formally that he wanted to leave and refused a new contract with a release clause. Leadership changes at the club made it more difficult to retain him, before they also failed to land replacements, and Callum Wilson rejected a new deal, leaving them short up front.

Newcastle and Isak shared barbs through carefully worded statements, and the relationship was described at an all-time low, with the club accusing Liverpool of using his agent to fuel unrest. Ultimately, Newcastle signed replacements in Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa before sanctioning Isak’s deal.

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September 02, 2025, 16:14 IST

News sports Alexander Isak Tried To Sabotage Newcastle's Champions League Hopes: Report

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