Agents slam Alexander Isak £130m Liverpool transfer & Newcastle United Yoane Wissa deal as ‘worst’ signings

It was supposed to be Liverpool’s grand statement of intent — a record-breaking £130 million deal that would bring one of the Premier League’s most lethal finishers to Anfield. Alexander Isak, the elegant Swedish striker who had lit up St James’ Park for two straight seasons, was meant to be the man who would carry Liverpool’s attack into a new era under Arne Slot. But just a few months after the blockbuster transfer, the move is already being branded a disaster by many within football.

The noise surrounding Isak’s transfer to Liverpool has refused to die down. According to *The Athletic’s* latest agent survey, the record-breaking deal has been labelled the *“worst transfer of the summer”* — not just because of the money involved, but also because of how it happened. One agent even went as far as to call it “a betrayal of Liverpool’s values,” claiming the move went against the club’s traditional spirit of unity and humility.

Isak’s move to Liverpool was messy from the start. Determined to leave Newcastle United after missing out on Champions League qualification, the 26-year-old forward reportedly refused to train and declined to play in preseason matches, putting immense pressure on Eddie Howe and the Newcastle board. As the days passed, tensions grew, and whispers from inside the training ground suggested the situation had become unbearable. By the final week of the transfer window, Liverpool had stepped in with an offer Newcastle simply couldn’t turn down — £130 million, a British record for a Premier League transfer.

It should have been the beginning of something special. Liverpool fans flooded social media with excitement, imagining Isak linking up with Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz, and Dominik Szoboszlai in a dynamic, unpredictable attack. But reality has been far from the fantasy.

Since completing the move, Isak has struggled badly. After missing months of full training while his transfer saga dragged on, the striker has looked rusty, unfit, and disconnected from the rhythm of Liverpool’s play. In six appearances, he has scored just once — a single Carabao Cup goal against Southampton. He has yet to find the net in the Premier League or Champions League. For a £130 million signing, the numbers are worrying.

It’s a sharp fall from the level Isak showed at Newcastle, where he was a hero. In just over two seasons, he scored 62 goals in 109 appearances, becoming one of the most clinical finishers in England. His intelligent movement, calm finishing, and ability to glide past defenders made him a fan favourite and one of the most admired strikers in the country. When he scored 27 goals in one season and followed it up with 25 the next, few doubted that he was destined for greatness.

But football moves quickly, and sentiment fades even faster. The same fans who once sang his name at St James’ Park now see him as the man who walked away. And according to agents surveyed by *The Athletic*, Isak’s behavior during his final weeks at Newcastle was “unprofessional and unnecessary.” One unnamed agent was particularly critical, saying, *“Because of what Liverpool paid for him, but also in terms of the culture of the football club. Eddie Howe handled it with dignity, but what Isak did goes against what Liverpool stand for — it’s always been about the club, not the individual.”

That comment cuts deep, especially for a club like Liverpool, where team spirit and respect for tradition have always been central values. Fans at Anfield have already begun to express doubts about the signing. Some question whether Isak’s playing style even suits Slot’s pressing system. Others feel uneasy about how he forced his move, worrying that it signals a change in the kind of player Liverpool are now targeting — stars motivated by personal ambition rather than collective glory.

The criticism hasn’t just come from Liverpool supporters. Across the Premier League, rival fans and pundits have been quick to mock the slow start. Former players have called the deal “reckless,” while others have suggested that Liverpool panicked after missing out on other targets. Even within football’s agent community, the deal is now seen as a cautionary tale about how fast hype can turn into regret.

Interestingly, Isak’s move isn’t the only transfer under fire this season. Manchester United’s £85 million signing of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig has also been labelled one of the “worst” of the summer, while Manchester City’s purchase of goalkeeper James Trafford from Burnley was ranked second-worst by another agent. Trafford, who arrived before City later brought in Gianluigi Donnarumma, is now seen as an unnecessary signing.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are facing their own headaches. Their £55 million capture of Yoane Wissa from Brentford — another deal completed in a rush on deadline day — has also been ridiculed. Just like Isak, Wissa pushed for a move, refusing to play for Brentford until his transfer was finalized. But in Newcastle’s case, the bad luck didn’t end there.

Soon after joining the club, Wissa picked up a serious knee injury while on international duty with DR Congo. He hasn’t played a single minute for Newcastle since signing, and reports say he may not return to action until November. To make matters worse, once he recovers, he’s expected to join DR Congo again for the African Cup of Nations — potentially ruling him out for another month.

For Newcastle, who paid nearly double their initial offer to get him, it has been a disaster. The club originally bid £26 million but ended up paying close to £55 million in the final moments of deadline day. One agent didn’t hold back, saying, “That’s a lot of money for a 29-year-old who was way down their preference list.”

It’s been a difficult start to the season for both Liverpool and Newcastle, two clubs that had such high hopes after last year’s campaigns. For Newcastle, the loss of Isak and the long-term injury to Wissa have left Eddie Howe short of attacking options. Their once sharp and aggressive frontline now looks disjointed, with Callum Wilson struggling for fitness and Harvey Barnes yet to hit top form. The team that finished in the top four just over a year ago now sits mid-table, searching for goals and rhythm.

For Liverpool, the problem is different but just as serious. Arne Slot has been trying to rebuild a team that still bears Klopp’s fingerprints but lacks his intensity. The Dutchman’s tactical ideas — built around control, fluid pressing, and quick transitions — require discipline and fitness, two things Isak hasn’t yet shown. The striker’s struggles have disrupted the flow of the attack, forcing Salah and Díaz to drop deeper, while Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have had to cover more ground in midfield.

Inside the dressing room, there are already whispers that Isak is feeling the pressure. A source close to the player reportedly told journalists that the striker “feels isolated” and “frustrated” by his form. Slot, for his part, has publicly defended him, reminding fans that adaptation takes time. “Alexander is a top player,” the Liverpool boss said in a recent interview. “He had a difficult summer, but he’s working hard every day. Once he finds rhythm, the goals will come.”

But the reality is that Liverpool fans are impatient. The club paid a record fee — higher than the amounts spent on Virgil van Dijk, Darwin Núñez, or even Moisés Caicedo — and they expected immediate results. So far, they’ve seen only glimpses of the player who terrorized defenses at Newcastle. The quick turns, the calm finishing, the instinctive movement — they’ve all been missing.

Meanwhile, Newcastle fans continue to debate whether they did the right thing in selling him. Some argue that cashing in for £130 million was smart business, especially given the striker’s determination to leave. Others feel the club should have stood firm and protected their integrity, sending a message that no player is bigger than the badge. Eddie Howe, as usual, has stayed diplomatic, saying only that “these things happen in football” and that he wishes Isak well. But those close to him say he felt deeply hurt by the way the saga unfolded.

Behind all the noise, one thing is clear: this transfer has changed the dynamics between Liverpool and Newcastle. The two clubs, once connected by mutual respect and quiet rivalry, now find themselves tangled in emotional fallout. Fans on both sides have been trading jabs online — Liverpool supporters defending their new signing, Newcastle fans accusing him of betrayal.

In the football world, reputations can rise and fall faster than ever, and both Isak and Wissa are learning that the hard way. Their deadline-day dramas delivered headlines, but now they must deliver performances. If Isak fails to find his feet soon, the “worst transfer of the summer” label could stick — a painful tag for a player once seen as one of the brightest strikers in Europe

For now, Liverpool wait, hoping the storm settles and the goals begin to flow. Arne Slot remains calm on the surface, but behind the scenes, he knows the truth: he needs Isak to fire if his new Liverpool project is to succeed. The £130 million gamble must pay off, or the club risks a crisis of confidence that could define their season.

Football can be cruelly poetic. Just months ago, Alexander Isak was the pride of Newcastle — a symbol of ambition and progress. Today, he’s fighting to prove himself again, in a red shirt that carries the weight of history and expectation. Whether he sinks or soars will decide not just his story, but also how the next chapter of Liverpool’s evolution is written.