Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has already borrowed a page from Jurgen Klopp's playbook by using the same transfer strategy that helped the German secure his first signing at Anfield. Spanish international Victor Munoz became the inaugural acquisition of the Iraola era last week when he signed a six-year contract with the Reds. The 22-year-old attacker is expected to join his new team-mates on Merseyside in July, pending a work permit, after Liverpool activated the £34.5 million release clause in his Osasuna contract.
For some time, it seemed Premier League rivals Newcastle United were frontrunners in the pursuit of the highly-rated youngster, who notched seven goals and five assists in 36 appearances last season. The Magpies had earmarked the pacey winger as a potential successor to Barcelona-bound Anthony Gordon and were believed to be optimistic about landing his signature following encouraging discussions with the player's representatives. However, Munoz will instead be turning out on Merseyside next season after sporting director Richard Hughes moved swiftly to complete a deal.
Significantly, Liverpool agreed to pay the release clause in its entirety – in contrast to Newcastle, who had attempted to negotiate a reduced fee. The influence of Iraola also proved pivotal, with the former Bournemouth manager replicating a tactic deployed by Anfield legend Klopp more than a decade earlier.
Iraola informed Liverpool's hierarchy, shortly after replacing Arne Slot, that he held Munoz in extremely high regard and felt the Spaniard would fit perfectly into his high-octane, attacking approach.
The two subsequently engaged in an extensive telephone discussion during which Iraola set out precisely how he intended to deploy the winger.
That conversation ultimately persuaded Munoz that Liverpool was the right move, despite mounting interest from rival clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester United. The same tactic proved hugely successful for Klopp following his arrival at Anfield in October 2015.
Midfielder Marko Grujic became the German's maiden acquisition after arriving in January 2016 from boyhood outfit Red Star Belgrade in a transfer valued at £5.1million. The Serbian had attracted the attention of numerous elite clubs, including Chelsea, Inter, AC Milan and Juventus, but opted for Liverpool following an unexpected personal call from Klopp.
"His vision is that I should be something between a No.6 and a No.10, what they call a box-to-box midfielder," Grujic explained shortly after signing. "My only request was that I didn't want to be loaned out, I just want to play for Liverpool.
"But he was very open, told me about how he sees my development. When a coach like that calls you on the phone personally, that's the greatest privilege. That call really cemented my desire to join Liverpool."
Sadly for the midfielder, his time on Merseyside failed to live up to expectations, with Grujic managing just eight Premier League outings across a four-year stint with the Reds. Three of those seasons were spent away from the club on loan at Cardiff City and Hertha Berlin, before he sealed a permanent switch to Portuguese outfit Porto in 2020.