Liverpool forward Victor Munoz has made a promising start at Anfield, giving Andoni Iraola the exact kind of headache that the summer transfers were designed to do
Liverpool winger Victor Munoz.
Liverpool winger Victor Munoz.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Regardless of who the Liverpool head coach was heading into the summer transfer window just gone, there was a clear priority to address above all else: the wide areas.
With Mohamed Salah moving on and Cody Gakpo at that point struggling, Liverpool needed pace, quality and depth on the wings, and while Bradley Barcola arrived and Yan Diomande was targeted, it was Victor Munoz — out of nowhere — who became the first signing of the Andoni Iraola era.
Munoz was well-liked by Iraola, by all accounts, and the Spaniard, who was at the World Cup but didn't play because of injury, has hit the ground running in a Liverpool jersey.
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Winning the late penalty at Newcastle by driving at Lewis Hall and then scoring against Nottingham Forest at Anfield a week later, Munoz has the exact kind of directness that was missing last term.
There is more to come from him in terms of his final ball and he is still adjusting to life in the Premier League, but Munoz has made a very positive start.
That there is no guarantee that he starts this weekend at Bournemouth, despite that, is exactly the scenario that Liverpool envisaged when the summer began.
Alongside Munoz, Gakpo has been excellent lately, and Barcola, the $166 million (£123 million) arrival from PSG, has slotted in relatively seamlessly considering he too has never played in England before.
Liverpool winger Victor Munoz.
Liverpool winger Victor Munoz.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
As a result, at least one of the wingers — with Rio Ngumoha to throw in there as well — will miss out on starting at the Vitality Stadium.
"The fact that the best players come is a warning that we all have to demand more from ourselves," Munoz told AS this week.
"For the team, (Barcola's) arrival is very good, and we know that the competition forces us to give our best every day in every training session.
"Everyone here is world-class. It is a joy to be able to share training sessions and matches with them. They are all so good that it is impossible for me to choose just one."
It is the right attitude to take, of course, and Liverpool needs multiple weapons. If Munoz (or any of the other wide forwards) don't start, they will almost certainly be brought off the bench.
"I think it is the spot we want to be in in every position," Iraola explained on Friday.
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"In this case, four specific players fighting for two positions, and most of the games if not all. Two will start, two will come from the bench, and if it doesn't happen, it's probably because we are winning a game and you see something different.
"But for most of the games, the four of them are playing. It's a good fight and it's good for me that it's not easy to choose. We are in all the competitions, so we will need them all. For me, it's a luxury to have these kinds of options."
Munoz has also shown himself to be more than comfortable playing off the right, as well as the left. It is a trait that each of the players in those roles on Liverpool's books has, at least to some degree.
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"In the case of our wingers, we will have these moments in games where they change sides," Iraola continued.
"If we see something is not working or if we can damage one of the opponents on the other side. I think it's good that all the wingers are doing the effort of playing both sides and more or less are doing a good job."
Munoz is ticking every box so far at Liverpool. Already, his $47 million (£35 million) price tag appears to have been a bargain.