Liverpool Football Club is ready to make one of its biggest transfer moves in years, and it would break a “golden rule” the club has followed for almost a decade.
The Reds are pushing hard to sign Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, who scored an incredible 23 Premier League goals last season. Their interest in Isak signals a big change from Liverpool’s usual approach to transfers.
For the last 10 years, Liverpool have avoided buying proven Premier League strikers for big money. This started after they signed Christian Benteke from Aston Villa in 2015.
Benteke had been a star at Villa, scoring 49 goals in 101 games. Liverpool spent £32.5 million on him, a huge amount at the time. But things didn’t work out. Benteke only scored 10 goals in 42 appearances for the Reds, and he was sold to Crystal Palace just a year later.
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That experience made Liverpool careful. They stopped spending big money on Premier League forwards, preferring to sign players from abroad or versatile attackers who could play different roles.
In 2015, Benteke joined Liverpool in the same summer as Roberto Firmino, who went on to become a legend at the club. Firmino’s creativity, pressing, and teamwork helped Liverpool win the Premier League and Champions League.
Liverpool also signed Danny Ings from Burnley that year, but injuries meant he never had a major role at Anfield.
The next year, the club brought in Sadio Mane from Southampton. Mane was a superstar for Liverpool, but he played mostly as a winger, not as a traditional central striker.
In 2020, Diogo Jota joined from Wolves, again as a versatile attacker who could play across the front line.
When they needed a main striker three years ago, Liverpool signed Darwin Núñez from Benfica, rather than going for a proven Premier League name.
The only other case was Dominic Solanke, who moved from Chelsea in 2017, but that deal was very different, going through a tribunal and costing much less than Benteke or a possible Isak transfer.
Now, Liverpool have offered £110 million for Alexander Isak. Newcastle United rejected the bid, saying their Swedish star is not for sale.
Reports say Isak is training away from the main squad and has refused to play for Newcastle again. He will not feature in Newcastle’s opening Premier League match against Aston Villa this weekend.
This transfer window has already been busy for Liverpool. They have signed big names like Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, showing a more aggressive approach compared to last year.
If Liverpool do manage to sign Isak, it will be the most expensive deal in their history and a clear sign that they are ready to break their long-standing transfer caution.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has admitted the Isak situation has affected his team.
“I don’t think it’s been healthy for us,” Howe said. “Alex is one of the best strikers in the world – if not the best. To miss him from your squad leaves a huge gap.”
Howe added that morale dipped during pre-season when it became clear Isak might leave.
“When you have a player that good who is not part of your group, it’s difficult for the players to fully understand and react,” he said.
But the Newcastle manager also explained that the team has now accepted the situation.
“As time has gone on, there has been an acceptance this is the squad we have. We must make the best of it. The atmosphere has been very good in the last couple of weeks,” Howe told reporters.
Liverpool fans are watching closely. Many believe Isak could be the final piece of the puzzle for the team’s attack. Others wonder if spending such a huge amount on a Premier League striker is worth the risk, given what happened with Benteke.
One thing is certain: if this deal goes through, it will be one of the biggest transfer stories of the summer and a turning point in Liverpool’s transfer strategy.
