Newcastle United Manager Eddie Howe during the Newcastle United v Sunderland Premier League match at St. James Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England on 22 March 2026 / Victor Munoz of Spain during the friendly match between Spain and Egypt played at RCDE Stadium on March 31, 2026

Newcastle United saw their deal for Victor Munoz hijacked by Liverpool this summer.Imago

Sources: Eddie Howe and Andy Howe's roles in Newcastle losing out to Liverpool over Victor Munoz deal revealed

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Published on:

25 Jun 2026, 4:30 pm

Eddie Howe's "hesitation" allowed Liverpool to hijack Newcastle United's deal for Victor Munoz, Football Insider understands.

The north-east giants held talks with Osasuna about signing the winger as a direct replacement for Anthony Gordon, who recently joined Barcelona on a £70million deal.

However, sources can reveal that the Newcastle boss and his nephew Andy Howe, who works closely at the club with the manager, were not totally convinced by the Spain international, opening the door for the Reds to swoop in with a deal of their own.

Andoni Iraola's side have already announced the transfer, successfully completing their hijack, while those at St James' Park are left frustrated by the club's business.

It is possible that the Magpies could soon lose Sandro Tonali, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento before the window shuts, leaving Howe in a rather difficult position.

The manager is already under pressure from frustrated fans after his side finished 12th in the Premier League, and big-name exits will do anything but help his case.

Who could replace Anthony Gordon now?

Newcastle's only signing of the window so far is inexperienced goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen, which has raised some eyebrows at St James' Park.

Supporters are desperate for the club to make some bold moves in the summer market, especially in the final third, due to last season's struggles.

No player reached double-digit goals in the Premier League last term, with Bruno Guimaraes coming closest on nine and Nick Woltemade on eight.

As a replacement for Gordon, multiple names have been linked, but the most exciting of those are Abde Ezzalzouli of Real Betis and Lille's Matias Fernandez-Pardo.

The money earned from the England international's move to La Liga is expected to be reinvested, but the Magpies still need to be smart about their purchases.

Newcastle on verge of two new signings with PIF to spend 'aggressively' after Anthony Gordon exit

Newcastle won't mind missing out on Victor Munoz when this player can be Eddie Howe's Plan B

What's the latest on Sandro Tonali's future?

Unsurprisingly, most eyes are fixed firmly on Tonali and his future at St James' Park, with a plethora of Premier League clubs interested.

Tottenham Hotspur were believed to be in the driving seat, with Roberto De Zerbi pushing for a deal to be done, but Mateus Fernandes appears more likely to make the switch now.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and multiple Serie A clubs are keeping tabs, and all signs point towards another big-profile exit.

It's a huge summer for Howe and Newcastle. There's no getting away from that. And what's clear is that the transfer chiefs need to be working overdrive in the coming weeks.

Roberto De Zerbi