Newcastle United’s $70 Million Record Splash On Alexander Isak Is No Risk

Premier League side Newcastle United may have smashed its transfer record to acquire 22-year-old Swedish international Alexander Isak. Yet the Swedish striker’s profile, paired with the club’s predicament, means the signing is no gamble.

Newcastle has spent an upfront €68 million ($68 million) on Isak, which should eventually jump by around €5 million ($5 million) to approximately €73 million ($73 million) with add-ons. It’s an attractive sum for La Liga seller Real Sociedad, despite La Real initially setting his buyout clause at a much pricier €90 million ($90 million).

Isak is a tall, rangy striker whose goals have propelled Sociedad into regular European competition participants while helping it to a Copa del Rey triumph during his stint in San Sebastián. While not prolific, his dependable goals at a young age mean his ceiling is very high. If anyone is worth a lot of money in today’s market, it’s someone like the Swede.

Combine that with Newcastle’s tremendous financial backing, and the fee—despite him never having won the top honors for club and country—makes total sense. Despite being off the pace in overall value, merchandise sales and sponsorship attraction, Newcastle is by some accounts the wealthiest club in the world in terms of spending power. €70 million ($70 million) plus is a lot for most, but for a team whose majority ownership is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, it’s very little as long as the player is good.

Isak, who kickstarted his career at Borussia Dortmund in Germany, scored roughly once every three games for Sociedad. His strikes alone have not been able to transform Sociedad into a La Liga contender, however, with a sometimes leaky defense and consistency costing the team. After U.K. broadcaster ITV won the rights to show ten La Liga games this season, many English fans would have seen Barcelona trounce Sociedad 4-1 away from home after Isak had expertly equalized in the first half.

The signing is good business for other reasons. A six-year contract means Isak does not have to hit the ground running. Secondly, realistic expectations mean there is no pressure to carry the team. And finally, he has good cover in fellow striker Callum Wilson, who will share the attacking responsibilities.

He is the third revered forward to join the Premier League this summer, following Erling Haaland and Darwin Núñez for Manchester City and Liverpool, respectively. On numbers alone, Isak cannot match their recent tallies. Then again, his overall cost will be the cheapest of the three, with the other two set to exceed €90 million ($90 million). Indeed, while the transfer nearly doubles the previous record amount spent on Joelinton, its determined negotiations indicate that Newcastle’s strategy is not careless spending.

Many have wondered when the first serious acquisition would arrive, and Isak is that man. The deal is very much an outlier for Newcastle. Intent on securing Premier League safety first, the club has invested in proven Premier League players like Chris Wood and Dan Burn. Attracting 24-year-old Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimarães seemed to buck that trend a little. Now it has prioritized an exciting striker.

While Sociedad will look to reinvest across the squad, the Premier League newbie marks the start of a new dawn for his employer. As it spends more and more on future players, the pressure will ramp up for a club that now has seemingly limitless funds. A marquee goalscorer is just the start.