I’ll be honest, there is something about Víctor Muñoz that reminds me of Diogo Jota.
It isn’t about comparing their careers or suggesting Muñoz is already at Jota’s level. He has plenty to prove at Liverpool, and I don’t want to get carried away after a handful of appearances.
But when I watch Muñoz play, I see some of those qualities that made Jota such a brilliant player for us.
The bravery. The work rate. The direct running. And that determination to get into positions where he can score.
Those things matter at Liverpool. Sometimes they matter just as much as the fancy footwork or the spectacular goals.
And I think Muñoz could become a very popular player at Anfield if he keeps showing them.
He isn’t afraid to take players on
One of the things I loved about Jota was how positive he could be around the penalty area.
He didn’t always need to do something complicated. He could turn, drive towards goal, get a shot away and make life uncomfortable for defenders.
Muñoz has that same willingness to attack.
He wants to run at people. He wants to get forward quickly. He doesn’t seem interested in taking the safe option every time he receives the ball.
That is exactly the sort of football I want to see from Liverpool under Andoni Iraola.
Muñoz arrived from Osasuna after an impressive breakthrough season in Spain, and his dribbling and progressive running were among the qualities that attracted attention. He completed 12 dribbles in one La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano during the 2025-26 season — an extraordinary number.
Of course, beating a defender is only part of the job. He still needs to improve his end product and make the right decisions in the final third.
But I’d much rather see a Liverpool winger take responsibility and try to make something happen than constantly turn backwards and allow the opposition to get organised.
Muñoz gives us that willingness to attack.
The industry is what really stands out to me
This is where the Jota comparison becomes particularly interesting.
Jota wasn’t simply a goalscorer. He worked relentlessly for the team, pressed defenders, chased lost causes and made life difficult for opponents even when he wasn’t getting on the scoresheet.
Muñoz has shown similar energy.
He doesn’t look like somebody who believes his job ends when Liverpool lose possession. He is prepared to track back, compete and put the work in for his teammates.
Liverpool’s own assessment of Muñoz highlighted his unselfishness and willingness to contribute defensively, alongside his explosive pace and ability to play on either wing.
That is important because Iraola wants his forwards to work for the team.
You can’t build an aggressive pressing side with attackers who only want the ball at their feet. You need players prepared to sprint, close down defenders and make repeated runs, even when they don’t receive a pass.
Jota understood that.
And I like what I’ve seen from Muñoz in that respect.
He brings energy, but it isn’t just running for the sake of it. He wants to make things happen, whether that means carrying the ball forward, attacking the box or helping Liverpool win possession back.
Those are the sorts of things supporters notice.
And then there’s his knack of finding the net
The other part of the comparison is the most exciting one.
Jota had an excellent instinct for getting into scoring positions. He could appear in the right place at the right time, react quickly inside the box and finish chances before defenders had time to recover.
Muñoz has shown signs of that attacking instinct too.
Before joining Liverpool, he scored seven goals and provided five assists in all competitions for Osasuna during the 2025-26 campaign. He also scored on his senior Spain debut against Serbia after coming off the bench.
Those numbers don’t make him the finished article, but they show there is more to his game than pace and dribbling.
I want to see him attacking the far post, making runs beyond the striker and taking chances when they fall his way.
A winger who can beat his man is useful. A winger who can beat his man and then threaten the goal is even more valuable.
That is the next step for Muñoz at Liverpool.
He needs to turn his energy and directness into consistent goals and assists. If he can do that, he could become a very important part of Iraola’s attack.
Liverpool could do with another player like Jota
I don’t think supporters ever fully appreciated how useful Jota was until he wasn’t there.
He could play through the middle or out wide. He worked hard, offered a genuine goal threat and gave Liverpool another way to hurt teams when matches became difficult.
Those qualities are not easy to replace.
I’m not saying Muñoz will become the new Jota. Every player is different, and Jota earned his place in Liverpool’s history through years of outstanding contributions.
But Liverpool could certainly use another forward with that combination of aggression, industry and a willingness to get into the box.
Muñoz has the raw ingredients.
He is quick, direct and prepared to work. He has already shown that he can score, and at 23 he still has plenty of room to develop.
The challenge now is consistency.
He will have quiet games. He will make mistakes. There will be occasions when he runs into trouble or chooses the wrong option.
That comes with being an ambitious attacking player.
I don’t want Iraola coaching the instinct out of him because one or two things don’t come off. I want Muñoz to learn when to release the ball, when to take on his opponent and how to make his runs count.
Keep that bravery, improve the decision-making and the potential is there.
I’m excited to see what comes next
There is something refreshing about watching a forward who wants to make things happen.
Muñoz doesn’t strike me as a player who wants to hide when a match gets difficult. He wants to run at defenders, compete and get involved.
That reminds me of Jota, and I suspect I’m not the only Liverpool supporter who sees it.
We should be careful with the comparisons, because Jota gave us so much and Muñoz has a long way to go before he can be mentioned in the same breath in terms of achievements.
But the similarities in their approach are there for me.
Bravery. Industry. A willingness to attack. And that hunger to score goals.
Those are qualities Liverpool supporters appreciate, and they fit the sort of football Iraola wants to build.
Now I want to see Muñoz keep developing, get more minutes and turn those promising signs into regular contributions.
If he can do that, Liverpool may have found a forward who gives us something we have missed since Jota.
Not another Diogo Jota.
But a player with some of the same qualities that made us love watching him play.
And I’d be absolutely delighted if Muñoz could give us even a little bit of that again.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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