Alexander Isak to Liverpool, Newcastle United transfer deadline news, record fee agreed

All-conquering Liverpool have got their man in the headline deal of a chaotic transfer window.

The Premier League champions have officially agreed to a $258m transfer fee with Newcastle United to acquire the services of their star striker Alexander Isak.

The Sweden international's arrival at Liverpool is a record Premier League deal, surpassing the $237m Chelsea paid Brighton for Moises Caicedo in 2023.

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Isak was the second-leading goal scorer in the league last season, behind Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

The 25-year-old boosts an already formidable strike force after Liverpool beat Arsenal 1-0 on Monday (AEST) to become the only unbeaten team in the competition after three games.

Isak did not play for Newcastle this season as his relationship with the club turned sour.

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Alexander Isak of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his team's first goal. Getty

"I feel amazing. It's been a long journey to get here," said Isak, who effectively went on strike at Saudi-controlled Newcastle over the summer as he agitated for a move to Anfield.

Isak scored 23 league goals last season to guide Newcastle back to the Champions League with a fifth placed finish while he also scored in the League Cup final against Liverpool to give them their first domestic trophy in 70 years.

He did not join Newcastle on their pre-season tour and was forced to train separately in a tense standoff with the club, which manager Eddie Howe grimly described as a "lose-lose" situation.

Isak, however, accused Newcastle of breaking promises and misleading supporters in a statement that confirmed he wanted to leave the north-east club, saying that change was in the "best interests of everyone."

Liverpool spent a remarkable $870 million in a summer spree as the window closed on Tuesday (AEST) with spending by Premier League clubs soaring beyond $6.1 billion.

On the back of winning the Premier League for a record-equalling 20th time, Liverpool have aggressively overhauled their squad and blown their rivals out of the water, spending more than any other team in Europe.

Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz and young French striker Hugo Ekitike have also joined in deals worth more than $152 million.

One transfer Liverpool failed to get over the line, however, was for England defender Marc Guehi, who will stay at Crystal Palace for the final year of his contract because the London team couldn't secure a replacement.

England flexes financial muscles

English football has unrivalled spending power owing to their huge domestic and international broadcasting deals and their top-flight clubs have demonstrated their financial might this summer.

They've smashed the previous single-window record spend of $4.88 billion in 2023 by splashing out around $6.1b over the past few months.

The 20 Premier League teams spent more than those in the top leagues in Spain ($1.22b), Italy ($2.14 billion), France ($1.14) and Germany ($1.53 billion) combined, according to expenditure figures on the Transfermarkt website.

Arsenal were second to Liverpool with their summer outlay of more than $457m on players such as Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi.

The club's eighth and likely final signing of the window was a loan deal for Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie from beleaguered Bayer Leverkusen.

Flush with cash from the Isak transfer, Newcastle signed Yoane Wissa from Brentford for a reported $114m as a second striker addition along with Nick Woltemade, who joined for a club-record fee on Sunday (AEST).

Other deadline day highlights included Tottenham signing France striker Randal Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, while Aston Villa was very active in signing midfielder Harvey Elliot on loan from Liverpool, winger Jadon Sancho on loan from Manchester United and former United centre back Victor Lindelof on a free transfer.

United continued trimming their squad by offloading Antony to Real Betis on a permanent deal and Rasmus Hojlund to Napoli on loan, while signing Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp in a bid to fix their issues in that department.

Yet to be resolved was Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's reported move to Manchester City from Paris Saint-Germain as a replacement for Ederson, who has been the No.1 for Pep Guardiola's team since 2017.

Most Premier League clubs were in the market for players on deadline day in what has been one of the most chaotic transfer windows in history.

Jackson to Bayern

In Germany, Bayern Munich succeeded in signing Senegal forward Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea after an on-off transfer saga.

Jackson arrived in what both clubs described as a season-long loan, giving Bayern backup for Harry Kane and a wider range of tactical options in attack.

Earlier in the window, Bayern signed winger Luis Díaz from Liverpool and defender Jonathan Tah arrived on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, the 2023-24 Bundesliga champion where a summer of upheaval saw the exits of other star players including Wirtz and Granit Xhaka as well as the firing of coach Erik ten Hag.

Benjamin Pavard of Bayern Munich scores. Hannibal Hanschke/Pool via Getty Images

Marseille signs Pavard

Marseille pulled off the biggest move of deadline day in France by signing 2018 World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard.

The defender joined on a loan from Inter Milan.

According to L'Equipe newspaper, the deal includes a purchase option set at $27m

In their search for defensive reinforcements, Marseille also signed Italy left back Emerson Palmieri from West Ham.

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