Liverpool smash British transfer record to sign Newcastle striker Isak

The summer-long transfer saga involving Alexander Isak reached a conclusion on Monday as he finally got his wish for a move to Liverpool from Newcastle United as the English champions agreed a British record fee to sign the forward on a long-term deal.

Isak's stand-off with Newcastle has dominated the start of the season but the impasse was broken with Liverpool paying a reported 125 million pounds for the 25-year-old Swede.

The fee eclipses Chelsea's up-front 107 million pounds paid for Enzo Fernandez and the 100 million plus 15 million in add ons they splashed out for fellow midfielder Moises Caicedo.

"It's been a long journey to get here. But I'm super-happy to be a part of this team, this club and everything it stands for," Liverpool's new number nine Isak told the club's website.

"It's something I'm proud of and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm happy it's done and that I can get back to work."

Isak arrived at Newcastle three years ago from Real Sociedad and proved a huge hit with his goals twice helping the north-east club qualify for the Champions League and end a 70-year domestic trophy drought in last season's League Cup final.

His cult status on Tyneside rapidly deteriorated though as the Swede made clear that he wanted to leave and was effectively frozen out, playing no part in Newcastle's opening games of this season and not even training with the first team.

Newcastle confirmed his departure in a terse 37-word statement on Monday.

Isak's capture takes Liverpool's close-season spending above 450 million pounds after they smashed the club's transfer record for a second time, having signed Germany's Florian Wirtz in a deal that could eventually rise to 116 million pounds.

While Liverpool's forward line is still