Cristiano Ronaldo was requested to FaceTime Alexander Isak before transfer decision

Liverpool's new signing, Alexander Isak, once turned down a personal plea from Cristiano Ronaldo to join Real Madrid. The Reds finally secured the striker on transfer deadline day this week, agreeing to a record-breaking £125million fee with Newcastle.

Isak had effectively gone on strike to push through the move, his determination to play for Liverpool proving key in his decision to take the next step in his career, following weeks of tension and standoffs with the Magpies. But the 25-year-old has always been one to buck the trend and fight for what he believes is right for his career.

As a young talent playing for Swedish club AIK, he caught the eye of Europe's top sides. According to reports, Liverpool first showed interest when he was just 16. But Real Madrid, known for their knack of snapping up the world's best young talents, thought they had him in the bag after agreeing on personal terms.

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Keen to secure his services as soon as possible, Real even enlisted the help of legendary forward Ronaldo, then still at the Santiago Bernabeu, to try and persuade a young Isak via FaceTime to join Los Blancos, as per The Athletic.

But in a dramatic twist that would define his career trajectory, Isak pulled off a last-gasp change of heart, choosing to join Dortmund instead. Dortmund's stellar reputation for nurturing young talent proved the decisive factor in persuading the Swedish striker, who made his choice at the eleventh hour.

"Everyone knows that Borussia is a good club to develop at as a young player because so many of them are in the first-team," Isak told FourFourTwo at the time. "I want to play here and I am waiting for my chance, and I'll take it when it comes."

The shocking rejection left Real Madrid reeling whilst demonstrating Isak's early determination to forge his own path, regardless of who he might upset in the process. Upon his arrival at the Westfalenstadion, however, friction emerged with boss Thomas Tuchel, who professed to know nothing about the transfer, forcing Dortmund's hierarchy to issue a public apology.

Despite expecting a straightforward route into the starting XI, Isak found opportunities limited due to Dortmund's wealth of attacking talent. He managed just 12 outings across two campaigns with the German powerhouse, netting once.

Following a loan stint at Willem II in the Netherlands, where he rediscovered his goalscoring touch, Isak pursued a permanent departure from Dortmund in 2019. He was offloaded to Real Sociedad for a relatively modest £7.5m, though with a significant catch: a £26m buy-back clause that handed the Bundesliga club first dibs should Isak flourish in La Liga.

He did precisely that, blossoming into one of Europe's most thrilling attackers with his sublime touch and killer instinct in the penalty area. Recognising his potential, Dortmund attempted to bring the player back, but Isak turned them down.

Sociedad removed his buy-back clause by handing them an extra £5m. He proceeded to net 44 goals in 132 outings for the Basque outfit, assisting the club in claiming a rare piece of silverware in the Copa del Rey during 2020.

After that success, speculation quickly surfaced connecting him with the Premier League. He and his representatives started indicating his appetite for a fresh challenge and, in August 2022, Newcastle smashed their transfer record with a £63m bid to secure his services at St James' Park.

Following almost three years at the club, he now links up with Liverpool as one of the globe's finest strikers. Upon his arrival, he said: "It's so exciting. I think it's something difficult to put into words, I think you have to experience it and then explain.

"I think we all know what Liverpool is about, the fans and what they're about as well. So, yeah, looking forward to getting to experience that."