Alexander Isak will face one of the most emotionally charged moments of his career on Sunday when he returns to St James' Park for the first time since forcing through his £125m move from Newcastle to Liverpool last summer.
The Swedish striker's exit was anything but smooth. After growing frustrated at being denied a pay rise in 2024, Isak effectively withdrew his services from Newcastle last August, skipping the club's pre-season tour of south-east Asia and remaining at his Northumberland home rather than featuring for the team. His stance became public on 19 August when, during the PFA awards ceremony where Mohamed Salah was being honoured as player of the year, Isak posted a message on Instagram declaring that Newcastle had broken promises to sell him. "When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue," he wrote.
Newcastle initially resisted, insisting Isak would be "reintegrated" into the squad, but the situation shifted on 25 August when representatives from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund travelled to his home for talks aimed at resolving the impasse. Those discussions failed to produce reconciliation. Five days later, Newcastle brought in Germany international Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart for £69m, and within 48 hours Isak had completed his switch to Liverpool, where he met new teammates Arne Slot and Salah at Anfield.
That sequence of events left Newcastle's dressing room split, with captain Bruno Guimarães among those who made clear their frustration at how Isak had handled his departure. Liverpool had also signed Hugo Ekitiké from Eintracht Frankfurt for the same fee shortly before Isak's arrival, a transfer that has fuelled lingering questions about why Newcastle did not sanction Isak's sale earlier in the transfer window, before Slot turned to alternative options.
The messy nature of the saga was compounded by upheaval behind the scenes at Newcastle. With chief executive Darren Eales on medical leave and no sporting director in place following Paul Mitchell's exit amid tension with then-manager Eddie Howe, recruitment responsibilities fell partly to Howe's nephew, Andy Howe. The £55m generated from reinvesting part of the Isak fee went toward signing Brentford forward Yoane Wissa, whose debut season was hampered by injury. Woltemade, meanwhile, struggled to adapt to a deeper role and endured an underwhelming campaign. By season's end, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Guimarães had all expressed a desire to leave St James' Park, with financial pressure from Uefar's spending regulations forcing further departures.
Despite netting 54 goals in 86 Premier League appearances for Newcastle - including the winner in their 2025 Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool at Wembley - Isak's standing among the club's supporters has soured dramatically. Many fans recall vividly that on 25 August last year, as Newcastle lost 3-2 to Liverpool just miles from his rented Darras Hall mansion, Isak was nowhere to be seen. Newcastle went on to finish a disappointing 12th in the table.
Sunday's fixture also arrives amid a wave of tributes to Kevin Keegan following his death in July, adding a layer of emotion to proceedings that may temper some of the hostility directed at Isak. Eddie Howe has since left his post, replaced by Matthias Jaissle, while at Liverpool both Slot and Salah are also gone, meaning Isak must now prove his worth to new head coach Andoni Iraola.
A serious leg injury sustained in December further complicated Isak's first season at Anfield, preventing him from showing the explosive movement and clinical finishing that made him one of the most feared strikers in the Premier League during his time on Tyneside. As he prepares to walk past Newcastle staff en route to the away dressing room, Isak will be acutely aware that Sunday's return represents a chance to justify the price tag and the turmoil that accompanied his move.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.