Alexander Isak’s Reaction to Liverpool Beating Newcastle to Hugo Ekitike Revealed
Alexander Isak’s true feelings about Liverpool’s swoop for Hugo Ekitike before completing his own move to Anfield have now surfaced. The Swedish striker dominated headlines throughout the summer, ultimately sealing a British record transfer on deadline day after making it clear he would not play again for Newcastle.
Earlier in the window, Newcastle had explored the idea of replacing Isak with Ekitike, then at Eintracht Frankfurt, before sanctioning his sale. But Liverpool hijacked that plan, snapping up the Frenchman themselves while still negotiating for Isak.
How the Saga Unfolded
According to The Athletic, Newcastle viewed Liverpool’s move for Ekitike as a calculated show of strength—simultaneously targeting both forwards to ensure they would not lose out on Isak. Liverpool’s stance, however, was that they had been in discussions with Ekitike since January and had simply beaten Newcastle to the punch.
As for Isak, those close to him suggest his mood noticeably shifted once he discovered Ekitike was Merseyside-bound. He had travelled with Newcastle for their pre-season training camp in Austria, but shortly after Ekitike’s transfer, Isak picked up a questionable “minor injury” that kept him out of the club’s Asia tour. In hindsight, many view that moment as the first public signal of his exit strategy.
The Breaking Point
The standoff escalated as Isak continued to press for a move, even releasing a statement accusing Newcastle of breaking promises after skipping the PFA awards ceremony. Publicly, Eddie Howe insisted he wanted Isak to reintegrate, but behind the scenes he began to accept that keeping him against his will would be damaging for the squad.
By the time Howe described the situation as a “lose-lose” in a press conference, Newcastle’s resistance had begun to crumble—setting the stage for Liverpool to finally get their man
