Deadline day: Isak completes Liverpool move as English clubs spend $4B in transfer window

By Canadian Press on September 1, 2025.

Liverpool saved the biggest transfer until last in its remarkable $570 million summer spree, finally signing Alexander Isak from Newcastle for a British-record fee as the window closed on Monday with spending by Premier League clubs soaring to more than $4 billion.

The biggest saga of Europe’s summer transfer window ended with Isak completing his dream move to the English champion for 125 million pounds ($170 million), with the deal announced in the final throes of a chaotic deadline day.

“I feel amazing. It’s been a long journey to get here,” said Isak, who effectively went on strike at Saudi-controlled Newcastle as he agitated for a move to Anfield.

On the back of winning the Premier League for a record-tying 20th time, Liverpool has aggressively overhauled its squad and blown its rivals out of the water, spending more than any other team in Europe. Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz and young French striker Hugo Ekitike have also joined in deals worth more than $100 million.

One transfer Liverpool reportedly failed to get over the line, however, was for England defender Marc Guehi, who will stay at Crystal Palace for the final year of his contract because the London team couldn’t secure a replacement.

England flexes financial muscles

English soccer has unrivalled spending power owing to its huge domestic and international broadcasting deals and its top-flight clubs have demonstrated their financial might this summer, smashing the previous single-window spend of 2.36 billion pounds (now $3.2 billion) in 2023.

Arsenal also had a summer outlay of more than $300 million on players such as Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi, with the club’s eighth and likely final signing of the window being a loan deal for Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie from beleaguered Bayer Leverkusen.

Flush with cash from the Isak transfer, Newcastle signed Yoane Wissa from Brentford as a second striker addition along with Nick Woltemade, who joined for a club-record fee on Saturday.

Other highlights on Monday included Tottenham signing France striker Randal Kolo Muani on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, while Aston Villa was very active in signing Harvey Elliot on loan from Liverpool, Jadon Sancho on loan from Manchester United and former United center back Victor Lindelof on a free transfer.

United continued trimming its squad by offloading Antony to Real Betis on a permanent deal and Rasmus Hojlund to Napoli on loan.

Yet to be resolved was Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s reported move to Manchester City from Paris Saint-Germain as a replacement for Ederson, who has been the No. 1 for Pep Guardiola’s team since 2017.

Most Premier League clubs were in the market for players on deadline day in what has been one of the most chaotic transfer windows in history.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Steve Douglas, The Associated Press