Alexander Isak breaks silence after £125m Liverpool move, says he will tell his side of Newcastle saga

Alexander Isak has publicly addressed the summer transfer that saw him join Liverpool for a British-record fee of £125 million, saying he will explain his side of a contentious move from Newcastle United while insisting he is "happy that I became a Liverpool player." He spoke to Swedish media after coming on as a substitute in Sweden's 2-0 defeat to Kosovo on Monday.

Isak, 25, made his first appearance since May 25 when he entered the match in the 72nd minute, but was unable to change the outcome and was shown a yellow card. He had been an unused substitute in Sweden's 2-2 draw with Slovenia four days earlier.

"Not everyone has the full picture, but that's something for another day," Isak said. "I can't control everything that's said or written. But I'm happy that I became a Liverpool player." He added that it was positive the transfer was completed before the national team camp so he could "focus on playing football again," and that the experience had contributed to his development off the pitch.

Isak's move to Liverpool dominated the summer transfer window after he refused to train or play for Newcastle in attempts to force a transfer. The deal was concluded on deadline day, and Isak immediately reported for Sweden duty. Asked whether Liverpool had limited his minutes for the national team, he said: "Not that I know of. I'm with the national team now. Clubs and national teams have contact but it's between them in such cases." He is due to join his new Liverpool teammates ahead of the Reds' Premier League fixture against Burnley on Sunday.

Sweden coach Jon Dahl Tomasson said he had given Isak "the maximum" minutes he could in the two fixtures and noted the forward had trained only three times with the squad. Tomasson had expressed concerns about Isak's match sharpness ahead of the Slovenia match, and the manager's assessment of the player's fitness informed his selection and use.

The defeat to Kosovo dealt an early blow to Sweden's hopes of qualifying automatically for next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Sweden sit third in their four-team group and are five points behind leaders Switzerland, who have won their opening two matches. Only the group winner qualifies automatically for the tournament.

Isak's transfer remains one of the highest-profile moves in English football this year. The forward's absence from Newcastle's final pre-transfer fixtures and his public determination to secure the move were widely reported during the summer window. In his comments after Monday's match, Isak said he will address the fuller circumstances of that period at a later date.

For now, his immediate priority is getting up to speed with Liverpool and helping Sweden recover in their qualifying campaign. Tomasson and the national setup will manage his minutes as they assess his readiness, while Liverpool prepare to integrate their record signing into their squad ahead of league and European commitments.