The best thing to come from the Alexander Isak Liverpool transfer saga - all thanks to Newcastle United fans
Newcastle United are still adapting to life after Alexander Isak following the striker’s £130million Premier League record transfer to Liverpool.
Losing your top goalscorer is never easy, especially when that player is one of the most highly-rated strikers on the planet.
But that is Newcastle United’s reality having sold Alexander Isak to Liverpool on deadline day for £130million. The deal smashes the Premier League record transfer fee and makes Isak the third most expensive player of all time behind Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, both of whom were signed by Paris Saint-Germain.
Isak's summer strike at Newcastle to force through a move to Liverpool has limited his impact on Merseyside so far as he works up his match fitness levels. But a goal against Southampton in the Carabao Cup followed by Hugo Ekitike’s red card will hand the Swede a big opportunity to cement his place in Arne Slot’s starting line-up.
Meanwhile, on Tyneside, Newcastle are still adapting to life without Isak. The Magpies have scored three goals in their opening five Premier League matches with summer signing Yoane Wissa out injured and fellow new addition Nick Woltemade still adapting to his new surroundings.
Woltemade has had an impressive start to life at Newcastle, scoring on his debut before coming off the bench to play roles in goals against Barcelona in the Champions League and Bradford City in the Carabao Cup. But in four matches, the 23-year-old has managed just three shots with his only effort on target finding the net against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
While Newcastle received the largest transfer fee of any Premier League club in history, the £55million and £65million signings of Wissa and Woltemade have already taken up a large chunk of the fee, though they will be amortised over the next several years to alleviate any PSR concerns.
The Magpies may have to be patient before reaping the benefits of selling Isak. But there is still one genuinely positive and wholesome story to come from the whole saga.
And it happened this week.
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Newcastle United supporters’ classy gesture after Bradford City clash
Last November, Newcastle supporters’ group Wor Flags coordinated a display dedicated to Isak ahead of the Premier League match against West Ham United.
The display featured Isak’s name held up by supporters in the Leazes Stand while a banner reading ‘Alexander the Great’ was on show in the Gallowgate End.
As it happened, Newcastle ended up losing the match 2-0 and Isak failed to make an impact. Since the 2024/25 camapign, Newcastle have had no use for the banners.
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Fortunately, now they have found a new home.
On Wednesday night, Newcastle hosted League One side Bradford City in the Carabao Cup third round, winning 4-1.
After the match, Bradford supporters’ group ‘North West Kollektive’ posted on social media: “We may have found a new home for the Alexander banner, thanks to @worflags and @KaseyCook32. Now just to work out how we can get it done in the Kop with a few additions.”
Wor Flags donated the banner to Bradford supporters to display as a tribute to manager Graham Alexander.
Alexander led Bradford to promotion from League Two last season and currently has his side competing at the top end of the League One table in the early stages of the season.