Alexander Isak's long, winding transfer saga ended with him becoming the most expensive football player in British history on transfer deadline day in September 2025.
The Sweden striker completed his £125 million ($169m / €144m) switch from Newcastle United to join Premier League champions Liverpool.
It took Liverpool's spending for the window beyond £400m and Isak joins former British record buy Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez in Arne Slot's heavily reupholstered squad.
As the Premier League heads into its international break, fans will have to wait to see Isak in action for his new employers. They do at least know what jersey he'll be wearing on his return.
MORE: Alexander Isak to Liverpool: Striker completes British record £125 million transfer on deadline day
Alexander Isak shirt number at Liverpool
Isak will wear the traditional striker's shirt of No. 9 at Liverpool.
The jersey was vacated by Darwin Nunez after the Uruguay international joined Al Hilal this summer.
At Newcastle, Isak wore No. 14 but tends to wear No. 9 for Sweden when he is in international action.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 2, 2025
Famous Liverpool players to wear No. 9
The man Isak must ultimately measure up to in Liverpool's No. 9 shirt is the club's all-time top scorer Ian Rush.
Wales international Rush netted 346 goals in a decorated Reds career, exactly 100 more than Mohamed Salah, who sits third on the list behind Roger Hunt as of September 2, 2025.
Rush was succeeded as Liverpool's No. 9 by Robbie Fowler, the homegrown star who came to be known simply as "God" by the club's supporters. A wonderfully instinctive finisher, injuries ruined Fowler's later career, but he still netted 183 times across two spells at Anfield.
More recently, Fernando Torres thrilled as a livewire striker supplied by Steven Gerrard for Rafael Benitez's Liverpool, while, Roberto Firmino was a key cog in a sublime front three with Salah and Sadio Mane under Jurgen Klopp.