LONDON, England (AFP) — Liverpool finally landed Newcastle striker Alexander Isak on Monday in a British-record £125-million deal, after a protracted chase for the Sweden star that dominated the English Premier League transfer window.

Isak has reportedly signed a six-year contract with the Premier League champions after they finally convinced Newcastle to accept an improved bid.

“I feel amazing,” he told Liverpool’s website. “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.

“It’s something I’m proud of and I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’m just happy it’s done and that I can get back to work. I’m looking forward to seeing my teammates and the fans, and getting back out there.”

Arne Slot’s Liverpool had a £110-million offer rejected by Newcastle in August, but Isak’s determination to force through the move paid off after the transfer saga grew increasingly tetchy.

Isak told Newcastle he wanted to leave, and spent part of the preseason training alone at his former club Real Sociedad rather than linking up with Eddie Howe’s team.

He was left out of Newcastle’s preseason tour of Asia with what was said to be a thigh injury, and accused the Magpies hierarchy of breaking a commitment that he could leave if a suitable offer came in from a top club.

Howe had repeatedly stated his desire to keep Isak, who scored 27 times in 42 appearances in all competitions last season.

Isak’s goals helped secure UEFA Champions League qualification and ended Newcastle’s 56-year trophy drought with a League Cup final win over Liverpool.

But Newcastle’s swoop for Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade on Saturday paved the way for the Swedish forward to secure his dream move.

The 25-year-old travelled to Merseyside for a medical on Monday before completing his switch ahead of the Premier League’s 1800 GMT transfer deadline.

Isak’s move to Anfield takes Liverpool’s spending on new signings to an estimated £416 million since the end of last season.

Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Armin Pecsi and Giovanni Leoni are Liverpool’s other major new recruits.

The Reds’ spending has shattered the previous summer window record outlay by a Premier League club of £400 million, set by Chelsea in 2023.

The Reds had already broken their own transfer record to land Leverkusen playmaker Wirtz for an initial £100 million before Isak’s move set a new mark for a fee paid by a British club.

Chelsea held the previous record with their £107-million signing of Enzo Fernandez in 2023.

Slot is looking to cement Liverpool’s hold on the Premier League title while also challenging for a seventh Champions League crown.

If Liverpool can win the Premier League again this season it would make them the most successful team in English top flight history, with 21 titles.

The Reds have not lifted the title in successive seasons since winning three in a row from 1982 to 1984.

With Isak now the fulcrum of Liverpool’s formidable attack, Slot will be under pressure to deliver the record-breaking title.

The Dutchman has a wealth of forward options, with new signings Isak, Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike joining Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa.

The spending spree marks a dramatic shift in policy for Liverpool, with Chiesa the only senior arrival at Liverpool during the 2024 summer transfer window, for an initial fee of £10 million.

Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Tyler Morton and Ben Doak have all been sold by Liverpool over the summer, with the club recouping around £190 million.

Slot’s men already sit top of the Premier League with the only 100 per cent record left in the division, after beating title rivals Arsenal 1-0 on Sunday to make it three successive victories to open the season.