Liverpool has made a start on its summer transfer business by signing Victor Munoz from Osasuna, with Andoni Iraola the ideal head coach to get the best from the Spanish winger
04:00, 21 Jun 2026
New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.
New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Sometimes, it is the signings out of nowhere that generate the most excitement among a fanbase. And Victor Munoz certainly came out of the blue when he emerged as a Liverpool target earlier this week.
Munoz, 22, arrives from Osasuna as a senior Spanish international, but few will know much about him. Only a year ago, he was a young prospect at Real Madrid, before a breakout year lower down La Liga.
With Newcastle looking set to snap him up, Liverpool pounced, agreeing to pay his $46 million (£35 million) release clause. Within 24 hours of news emerging that the Reds wanted him, the deal was publicly confirmed.
"Munoz is a bit of a throwback," Spanish soccer writer Matthew Clark tells Liverpool.com.
"An old-school, classical winger, he likes nothing more than to go at his marker, beat them, and get a cross in or get a shot away. He excites fans with his rapid speed, directness and willingness to keep going.
"The fact that Newcastle were so strongly linked with him before the Liverpool hijack gives a strong clue that he shares a lot of characteristics with Anthony Gordon.
"Liverpool themselves had been linked with Gordon before he made the big-money move to Barcelona this summer, and Munoz will offer a lot of what Gordon’s game is all about. The work ethic, direct pace, and relentless intensity match up well."
Victor Munoz of CA Osasuna looks on during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Athletic Club and CA Osasuna
Victor Munoz has joined Liverpool this summer(Image: (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images))
This is not the first time that a comparison with Gordon has been made. While Munoz is raw, he has pace and directness — exactly what Liverpool lacked last term.
"His rise in the last year or so has been pretty meteoric and caught many of us by surprise," Clark admits. "From a bit-part squad player in the Club World Cup under Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid, Munoz enjoyed a breakout season at El Sadar with Osasuna.
"As the season progressed, his performances made headlines, and he was noticed by more and more people. The standout match was the home win over his former club, when he gave experienced Dani Carvajal a torrid evening.
"Reports emerged that Real Madrid were considering exercising their buy-back clause, and Barcelona were also supposedly interested for a while.
"Munoz provided that wow factor for fans, the kind of player you are happy to pay the ticket price to go and watch. His inclusion in the Spain squad is a recognition of that impressive campaign, and his wildcard factor in what is a settled squad, and I hope Luis de la Fuente gives him the opportunity to showcase this on the world stage."
Leaving Spain for the first time, Munoz will link up with Andoni Iraola, his fellow countryman, who was very keen to bring the forward to Anfield.
Victor Munoz during a Spain training session at the World Cup.
Victor Munoz during a Spain training session at the World Cup.(Image: Pablo Garcia/Soccrates/Getty Images)
"As we have seen at Bournemouth since then, Iraola likes energy and intensity in his football, and Munoz epitomizes that — high energy, front-footed football, with pace and direct attacking play to excite fans and produce a high volume of chances," Clark says.
"The fact they are both new to the club and Spanish will help with his integration. I am very optimistic that he will thrive and be a new fan favorite at Anfield.
"Speed and unrelenting tenacity are his greatest attributes. Determined to make things happen, Munoz will continue and leave his opponent dizzy by the end of a match.
"With seven goals and five assists in all competitions, his goal contributions could certainly be higher, but in the context of his first season playing regular top-flight football, for a team that ended up almost relegated, those numbers stand up pretty well.
"To improve further, decision-making is probably the thing that will take him from a promising young talent to a reliable contributor in an elite team. Knowing when to go outside, when to cut in, when to recycle, cross or shoot, those can all be refined under Iraola.
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"But the biggest challenge will be adapting to a new environment, culture and country in contrast to what he has been used to in Spain.
"Munoz is familiar with being at a big club, having been through the youth systems at Barcelona and Real Madrid, but the increased expectation that comes with the transfer fee and spotlight on the Premier League will be a new challenge for him."
At $46M, Munoz comes in as a mid-level signing, at least by modern standards. It is also reflective of his need to become more consistent — it might take some time.
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"I think in today’s market, that price for a player of his age is almost a free hit for the biggest clubs in the world, especially Premier League giants," Clark says.
"The example I have used is that he is cheaper than Andy Carroll was in 2011. In modern football, for a young attacker with time on his side and room to improve, anything under €50M seems like good value."