Newcastle United are scrambling to reshape their attacking options after Liverpool dramatically hijacked their move for Osasuna winger Victor Muñoz.
The Spanish attacker had appeared destined for Tyneside, with reports suggesting Newcastle had done significant groundwork on securing the deal before Liverpool intervened late.
According to The Liverpool Offside, Newcastle had already agreed a fee, personal terms, and agent fees before Liverpool made their move to take the transfer away from them.
Liverpool ultimately secured Muñoz for around £34.5m, as reported by The Guardian, beating Newcastle and several other interested clubs to the signing.
The late hijack has left Newcastle frustrated, particularly given how advanced their negotiations appeared to be before the deal was taken from under their feet.
However, the club are not expected to dwell on the disappointment, with their recruitment team already moving on to identify alternative attacking targets.
According to a source on X, Newcastle have made contact with representatives of both Darwin Núñez and Marcus Rashford as they search for a statement signing.
Both players offer different qualities that could add genuine value to Newcastle’s attack, giving the club options depending on which profile they ultimately pursue.
Núñez brings explosive movement, chaos in behind defensive lines, and relentless running that could stretch opposition teams in a way few attackers can match.
Rashford, meanwhile, offers pace, directness, and considerable Premier League experience from the left flank, and his future remains uncertain after Barcelona decided not to activate their permanent option.
Núñez has also attracted attention from Premier League clubs while links to a possible departure have grown following his Saudi spell.
The connections to both players remain at an early stage, with nothing yet formalised as Newcastle weigh up their next move in the transfer market.
This moment feels significant for Newcastle’s recruitment team, as the response to losing Muñoz will shape the direction of their attacking rebuild this summer.
Losing a priority target so late in negotiations is undeniably a setback, but how quickly and convincingly Newcastle react will define the impact on their overall window.
A fast, decisive move for one of the two identified targets would send a clear statement of intent from a club determined not to let one frustrating miss derail their ambitions.
