Alexander Isak signed for Newcastle United in the last week of the first full summer transfer window under the new Saudi ownership of 2022.

The fee, £58m, smashed the clubs previous transfer record of £40m paid three season earlier for fans favourite Joelinton.

The signing was a landmark moment for Eddie Howe and the club, with cover and a challenge for the starting spot required for the unfortunately injury prone Calum Wilson.

Isak became the 4th signing of that window, with Matt Targett, (£15m), Nick Pope (£10m) and Sven Botman (£37m) having already joined over that Summer.

In his first season at the club Isak would play a significant role in allowing Newcastle United to reach the Champions League again (after a 25 year wait). He would also play in the League Cup Final that first season, one that would ultimately end in defeat in a 2-0 reverse to Manchester United. His highlight reel of that campaign would include an outrageous piece of skill away to Everton beating a succession of Toffee players in an incredible run down the left wing, and a brace at home to Spurs that put Newcastle 5-0 up inside 25 minutes at St James Park.

Things continued to look for for Isak and Newcastle, with his reputation growing at equal pace to his goal tally at the club.

And despite narrowly missing out on Europe in the 23/24 season it would be 24/25 that would see him break through into the 'world class' brackets as again his goalscoring feats matched the progress of Newcastle United as a club.

Nothing summed up the meteoric rise more than the 2025 ELF Cup run. Majestic in a a 4-0 aggregate win in the two legged semi finals against a brilliant Arsenal team, he would then score the second goal in Newcastle's 2-1 Cup Final win against the 'to be' Premier League Champions Liverpool at Wembley. Whilst his form seemed to dip towards the end of the season he and Newcastle would limp across the line to secure Champions League football too. The second CL qualification in three seasons.

With PSR financial pressures easing that year too for the club with some sales and a previously big spend dropping off the clubs accounts, it promised to be a wonderful summer, building on a cup winning squad with an exiting European tour once again on the horizon.

Alexander had other ideas however. First it was a niggle that meant he'd miss a trip to Asia. Then his absence became that much more concerning as he refused to travel to Scotland for a game with Celtic too. And then the bombshell. The news he 'wanted to seek a new opportunity', what then seemed like placed stories with media outlets and social media influencers. A move to Liverpool is what he 'only wants' that headline. Then a low ball bid from Liverpool for the player and a damming Instagram post from him saying he would not come back to Newcastle.

If Newcastle is famous for its bridges then Isak was hell bent of setting fire to them all.

There would be a last ditch effort from the club to get him back on side, a visit to his home to see him and his agent a week before the deadline day. He was not for being persuaded.

Newcastle had already replied with a rare statement of their own refuting claims that Isak had been promised a move away. They stated that he would only be allowed to leave if certain conditions were met and that this was unlikely (seemingly referring to both the size of the transfer fee and that Newcastle still had to replace the released Calum Wilson and would therefore need to buy two strikers).

But as bit after bid failed to land the required strikers (many seemingly choosing money over the Newcastle project) there was a breakthrough. First the German sensation Woltemade for a new Newcastle transfer record (£68m) and then, in the final minutes of the window (literally) Wissa for a hugely overinflated price of £55m as the club gave in to the desperation of their position and paid what Brentford wanted for their own 'want away' rebel.

A sad end to what had been for so long a wonderful relationship.

You can leave like Andy Carroll, or you can leave like Michael Owen

Scrub that...

You can leave like Andy Carroll, or you can leave like Alexander Isak

A new level of resentment for someone leaving the club had just been set. I don't envy him having to come back to St James Park any time soon. What a shame...