Alexander Isak finally completed his blockbuster move to Liverpool on deadline day and has been backed to make a major impact by new team-mate Alexis Mac Allister
Alexis Mac Allister admits he and his Liverpool colleagues were fed up with the Alexander Isak transfer saga before his high-profile move. The Swedish striker was caught in a summer-long tug-of-war with Newcastle United, having expressed his wish to join the Premier League champions.
However, he had to wait until deadline day to put pen to paper after the Reds and their top-tier competitors finally agreed on a British-record £125million deal. Isak was made to train separately from the Magpies’ first team during their preparations for the Premier League season and as a result, arrived at Anfield lacking match fitness.
He only made his debut during Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid. The 25-year-old lasted just under an hour during the thrilling Champions League win over the Spanish club, leaving the pitch with the Reds leading 2-1 before they required a last-minute winner from skipper Virgil van Dijk to wrestle back the points in a 3-2 win.
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Arne Slot’s squad have been the talk of the town after relying on a series of late goals to secure three points during the early stages of their title defence.
Isak’s signing was part of a spending spree on Merseyside, which was balanced out by a number of exits, including Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott, Ben Gannon Doak, Tyler Morton, Jarell Quansah and Caoimhin Kelleher.
Despite the chatter about the financial investment at Anfield, Mac Allister has expressed his delight at having Isak on board and believes he will be a hit for the Reds.
“At the beginning, it was a big thing and after a while we got a bit tired because it was too long,” Mac Allister shared with TNT Sports (via the Liverpool Echo), taking a dig at the lengthy transfer process.
“But we all know the player he is. He is going to be really, really important and we are happy to have him here.”
Mac Allister acknowledged how Newcastle wouldn’t have liked how things played out, adding: “Maybe the other club are not happy but that’s the way football works, they paid quite a lot of money so I think it’s good for both clubs.
“It’s good for him because it’s what he wanted, we are so happy to have him because we know the player that he is and we suffered against him a couple of times as well.”
Liverpool take on Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday (12.30pm) as they look to extend their lead at the summit in their Premier League title defence.
The Toffees will be wanting to damage the Reds’ title charge after a perfect start to the season, winning each of their opening four matches.
However, it remains to be seen whether Isak will make his Premier League debut for Slot’s side after having a broken pre-season.
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