Liverpool agree £130million deal with Newcastle United for Alexander Isak

The latest North East and Merseyside sport headlines, from Daniel Wales.

Transcript

00:00Newcastle United and Liverpool have agreed a fee in the region of £130 million for the sale of Alexander Ezek.

00:09I've been speaking to Andrew Musgrove of the Everything Is Black and White podcast to hear his thoughts on the ending to the saga of the summer.

00:17In terms of the fee, yes, we were told that Newcastle were going to hold out for at least £150 million,

00:22but I think they're in an impossible position, really, simply because they've got a player who doesn't want to play for Newcastle United,

00:30and he made that clear as recent as last week.

00:33So what were they to do?

00:34If he wasn't sold to Liverpool, how difficult would it be to reintegrate him into the Eddie House squad,

00:40where really it is a squad that is built upon that spirit and drive to work for the badge?

00:46And you've got a player there who's made his intentions very, very clear,

00:49that if he didn't get his move away from Newcastle United, he didn't want to play for them again.

00:54So I think the club have looked at that and thought, OK, we can get a big fee.

00:58Yes, maybe £20 million than we originally wanted,

01:01but £130 million is still a huge astronomical price to pay for anybody these days,

01:08and that can be reinvested into the playing squad.

01:11And actually, if they manage to get a second striker in today,

01:14you could argue, alongside all the business they've already done, they come out of this stronger.

01:19Never saw a way back for him.

01:20I know Eddie Howe was very diplomatic every time he was asked about it,

01:24but he had to be because there was a chance that he would have to try and persuade Alexander

01:28that he'd have to pull on that black and white shirt again after the deadline had gone.

01:32But I was never convinced that it would work simply because this club means so much to the fans.

01:39They'd give anything to be able to pull on that black and white shirt just for 30 seconds

01:43to run out onto that pitch at St James' Park.

01:46And Alexander is getting paid big money to do that.

01:48And he's refusing to do that.

01:51And he's disrespected the fan base, disrespected that he had,

01:54and disrespected his teammates, and more than anything, the club as a whole.

01:58So I don't think you'll find many Newcastle United fans, if any at all, who are sad to see him go.

02:03With Izak currently undergoing his medical at Liverpool,

02:06the Reds may still try to bring in Mark Gee from Crystal Palace,

02:10whilst Newcastle United have agreed a fee with Johan Visser of Brentford.