What really happened in Victor Munoz saga – Keith Downie explains after bitter transfer blow
Newcastle United were left stunned this week after a deal they believed was all but done for Victor Munoz collapsed in the space of 24 hours, with Liverpool swooping in to hijack the move at the very last moment.
According to Sky Sports’ Keith Downie, who covers Newcastle United closely, the Magpies had genuinely believed they were on the verge of completing the signing. Newcastle had a £33.3m fee, made up of an initial £29m plus £4.3m in add-ons, accepted by Osasuna. Personal terms had also been sorted, with the player agreeing terms and telling Newcastle he wanted to sign, while agent fees were also agreed.
Things had progressed to the point where
Newcastle had the wheels in motion for a medical in the US and felt a deal was in place. By all accounts, this wasn’t a club chasing a target from a distance. Every box appeared to be ticked.
Then it fell apart. Newcastle were instructed by the player’s representatives to wait over the final 24 hours, and that pause proved fatal. Liverpool, who Downie says had always been at the table for the Spain international rather than arriving at the last minute, made their move.
The Merseyside club triggered Munoz’s release clause, with a £34.5m fee agreed and the 22 year old set to sign a six-year contract, with Liverpool paying the transfer fee in two instalments. Munoz himself is currently away with Spain at the World Cup, and the Spanish Football Federation has already granted permission for him to complete the formalities of the move.
For Newcastle, it’s a brutal way to lose a player they thought they had wrapped up. Downie’s reporting makes clear this wasn’t a case of Newcastle being naive or slow to act. The club did everything right on paper, fee agreed, terms agreed, medical being arranged, only for the player’s camp to ask them to hold off at the eleventh hour while Liverpool worked behind the scenes.
It’s the second time in two transfer windows that Newcastle have suffered this exact kind of late hijack from Liverpool, having previously lost out on Hugo Ekitike in similar circumstances. That pattern alone will sting at St James’ Park, raising fresh questions about how the club is being out maneuvered at the final stage of negotiations on top targets.
Munoz arrives at Anfield with a serious reputation after his breakout campaign at Osasuna, where he established himself as one of the most sought after young wingers in Europe. For Newcastle, the focus now shifts to identifying alternatives, but Downie’s account leaves little doubt about how close they came, and how much it hurts to lose a player at the very last step of the process.