'I got my way like Alexander Isak after Liverpool made me out to be a traitor'

Liverpool look set to secure the deadline day signing of Newcastlestriker Alexander Isak for £125million after an epic transfer saga which has dominated the summer window. Isak, 25, made clear he wanted to explore his options away from St. James' Park and has been training alone at Newcastle – while his situation somewhat reflects that of former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.

Torres joined the Reds from Atletico Madrid in 2007 and became an Anfield idol. However, after three-and-a-half seasons with the club, the Spaniard left Merseyside for Chelsea in a then-record-breaking deal for £50m in January 2010.

Torres' exit from Liverpool, like Isak's from the North East, was fractured to say the least. Although Torres never refused to play for the club, he expressed a desire to leave. Later, Torres accused Liverpool of trying to portray him as a "traitor", with fans angry at the star – something Isak has also experienced.

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Torres, who retired from playing in 2019, claimed he had no choice but to move clubs. He said Liverpool were intent on signing young players to ensure success down the line, rather than stars who could make them an instant force to be reckoned with, after the club had been taken over by the Fenway Sports Group – then known as New England Sports Ventures.

"[Damien, former director of football strategy at Liverpool] Comolli told me that the new owners, they had an idea of how to spend their investment," Torres is quoted as saying in 2016's Ring of Fire: Liverpool FC into the 21st Century - The Players' Stories by Simon Hughes.

"They wanted to bring in young players, to build something new," Torres added. "I was thinking to myself, this takes time to work. It takes two, three, four, maybe even 10 years. I didn't have that time.

"I was 27 years old. I did not have time to wait. I wanted to win. Here we are five years later and they are still trying to build – around the same position in the league as when I left.

"It was presented as if I was a traitor. It was not like this in the discussion(s). Liverpool could not admit they were doing something wrong with the whole team. They had to find a guilty one."

Prior to Liverpool agreeing a fee with Newcastle for Isak, former Liverpool defender – and ex-team-mate of Torres – Jamie Carragher, had compared the ex-Spanish international's situation to the Swedish star's. He warned the Magpies of keeping hold of the striker against his will, as it can affect the mood in the dressing room.

"It is a cloud over the club constantly. We had this with Fernando Torres at Liverpool, where he did not really want to be at the club," Carragher said on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football.

"He ended up staying and we sold him in the January. Those four or five months were a nightmare for the club and everyone could not wait for him to move on. It is similar to Newcastle.

"So it is not just me having a go at Newcastle and wanting their player to come to Liverpool, I have experience of that situation and when you have a player who does not want to be there it can be an absolute nightmare."

Torres scored 65 goals in 102 matches for Liverpool but never won any silverware on Merseyside. He went on to win the FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League at Chelsea, however, he only scored 20 goals in 110 matches for the Blues.

The relationship between Torres and Liverpool later thawed with the striker invited back to play in a charity match. The now 41-year-old told official club channels in 2019: "I’m really proud to say I will support Liverpool forever, it doesn’t matter what happened."

Liverpool are expected to announce the signing of Isak on Monday evening after the Swede completes a medical. Arne Slot looks to have bolstered his backline too with the Reds agreeing a £35m fee for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, although Palace are still in the hunt for a replacement before a move can take place, ahead of the 7pm transfer deadline.

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