Why Newcastle’s Munoz deal really collapsed – and their next two targets ...Middle East

Newcastle United are considering moves for Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo and highly-rated Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli after suffering the bitter blow of missing out on Victor Munoz.

They will pivot from Munoz against the backdrop of deep scepticism from supporters that they are capable of pulling off the sort of deals that will reignite the PIF project. Insiders push back against that – pointing out that they beat Chelsea, Real Madrid and Tottenham to sign goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen – but in mid-June they find themselves in a position they did not want to be, scrambling for momentum in a crucial summer.

It’s been stressed that they are working on alternative deals, although nothing is believed to be imminent. There had been real confidence that a move for Spain winger Munoz could be wrapped up before the weekend, but he is now going to Liverpool in a depressing repeat of the Hugo Ekitike saga last year.

There’s no point in denying it – Newcastle sources are frustrated at how the Munoz deal has played out and it represents a blow. There’s an acceptance the optics are bad and that the challenge now is to not let the transfer window spiral in the way it did last summer.

A deeper pool of targets than they had then should help. They are capable of moving onto targets that don’t represent the sort of drop off that last year’s Plan Bs did. Panic was the problem last year.

For all the talk of better data and processes, the fact of the matter is they have now missed out on one of their priority targets.

What really happened with Munoz

The collapse of the Munoz deal feels all the more significant because it comes off the back of 18 months of transfer frustration, allowing a narrative to build around the club that they struggle to close these big deals.

This one is all the more frustrating because Newcastle were at such an advanced stage with Munoz. The deal was so close that a US medical had already been scheduled and the terms of the transfer had been thrashed out.

The i Paper can reveal that Newcastle had a fee of €38m (£32m) accepted by Osasuna, which would be paid in two instalments. A settlement with Real Madrid, who have a sell-on clause, had also been reached. Wages, agent fee and payment terms had all been rubber stamped.

Nine clubs were in for Munoz including Aston Villa, who believed that the Unai Emery factor would be decisive when they first made an approach. But they were also told by the player’s representatives that Newcastle was his preference.

Liverpool’s interest bubbled in the background throughout but the Magpies had been given verbal reassurances from the player, his family and his agent that they wanted to come to St James’ Park.

But in the space of a few hours on Wednesday that changed. Liverpool are paying more – they have triggered the release clause, although Newcastle sources believe that is “irrelevant” given they had a deal agreed at less – but ultimately it comes down to the player changing his mind.

There’s deep frustration at Newcastle, who will review their processes, but only actually completing one of these big deals will answer the growing band of critics.

So what next?

Newcastle have already made enquiries about Fernandez-Pardo but – and stop me if you’ve heard this one before – they face competition. Aston Villa are also in the market for a left-sided forward, which is an issue.

Nothing is understood to be imminent, the World Cup is making incoming business challenging across the Premier League, and there’s a feeling that judgement needs to be passed on Newcastle’s business in September and not mid-June. Talk of Sandro Tonali going to Spurs has been played down.

He may leave but only on Newcastle’s terms, and likely with a replacement advanced. A price of close to £100million is being sought.

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