Liverpool Hijack Our Target. Again.

It’s the hope that kills you. Just when it looked like Newcastle United had secured a massive coup to kickstart the summer window, Liverpool walked into the room.

The news that Liverpool have hijacked the deal for Osasuna’s 22-year-old winger Víctor Muñoz isn't just a standard transfer market disappointment—it's a repeat of last season where our targets time and again snubbed us for the Bug 6 teams.

For days, the move to St. James' Park was rumoured to be an all-but-done deal with personal terms agreed. Then came the classic Anfield smash-and-grab, with the Reds bypassing negotiations entirely by paying the £34.6 million (€40m) buyout in full.

Did we dither... or did the agent play his part?

The feeling among many fans is that the club appear to take too long to get deals over the proverbial line leaving the door wide open open for the smash and grab move that Liverpool have executed.

Munoz's buy out clause of £34.6M wasn't so high that it needed to be negotiated down to include add ons etc., but that appears to be what the club attempted to do.

If that's the case - for a player we clearly wanted - whoever decided on that tactic needs a kick up the rear end.

The lesson should have been as a clear as a cloudless sky from last season that dithering over a few quid here and there means you lose out and end up paying higher fees for second, third and even fourth choice targets.

It may also be the case that Munoz's agent knowing that there was interest from the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Man U has held off our deal and used it to force a quick decision that Liverpool have jumped on.

Either way... it;s a kick in the teeth for the club and fans and shows once again that when the Big 6 are interested NUFC are at the back of the queue.

The message that goes out to current players and potential targets isn't a good one.

Learn the lesson... or flunk the exam

Ross Wilson has a lot to prove at SJP in what we all knew would be a crucial transfer window both for player signings and departures.

How much input he had in the negotiation tactics for Munoz is unclear, but I expect he played a very significant part. If that is the case it looks like he has messed up big time.

The tactic we need to use with players and agents is "that's the deal, sign by X date or it's off the table and we move on".

We had enough of being strung out last summer and used as bait for other clubs to hijack the deal, And, early on in the window, it's happened again.

Laughing stock is an overused term but in this scenario that is exactly what NUFC are in danger of being seen as. Lessons need to be learned. We can't keep flunking the exam.

The Muñoz saga is a brutal reminder of life at the top of European football: financial decisiveness from the top clubs beats penny pinching from the also rans every single time.

Until the ink is dry on a contract it's all talk.

As the club and us fans have had hammered home. Again.

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