What Does Victor Munoz Bring to Liverpool?
Liverpool are making a habit of gazumping Newcastle on transfer targets. One summer ago, it was Hugo Ekitké who the Reds stole from their Premier League rivals’s clutches. Almost one year on, news broke that Liverpool have now agreed a surprise deal for Osasuna winger Víctor Muñoz.
Muñoz had been in talks with Newcastle, but now appears set to join an ever-growing list of targets the Magpies couldn’t quite get over the line in recent years.
For Liverpool, the €40 million ($45 million) Muñoz will become the first signing of an important summer transfer window. Despite last summer’s massive outlay, the roster is in need of major surgery to get it ready for Andoni Iraola’s debut season.
The wide forward areas are of particular concern at Anfield, not least because of Mohamed Salah’s exit after nine years. The regression of Cody Gakpo and expected exit of Federico Chiesa leave the Reds very light on options, with 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha the club’s only other first-team winger.
What Type of Player Is Muñoz?
Víctor Muñoz is an exciting prospect for Liverpool fans. / Ernest Kolodziej/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
In Muñoz, Liverpool are getting one of Spanish soccer’s hottest young players.
At 22, the winger, who spent time with both Barcelona and Real Madrid, is coming off the back of a breakout season with Osasuna—his first full campaign in La Liga—which ended with him earning a spot on Luis de la Fuente’s Spain World Cup roster.
While his end product numbers of six goals and two assists in 34 matches across 2025–26 may appear relatively modest, it is worth noting that this was achieved in a rookie season for a poor Osasuna side who only narrowly avoided relegation.
There is room, of course to improve his goals contribution return as he develops, but Muñoz has shown himself to be the type of player who gets people out of their seats in Spain with directness and searing pace.
He was clocked as La Liga’s second fastest player in 2025–26 at 35.5 km/h (22 mph), and once claimed to AS that he hit 36.6 km/h (22.7 mph) in pre-season with Real Madrid’s B team.
Only three players (Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappé) completed more dribbles in La Liga in 2025–26 than Muñoz’s 75, while only one player under 25 (Yamal) took more shots than his 81.
He also looks to have bright future at international level, having scored a neat outside-the-boot finish on his Spain debut in a 3–0 win over Serbia back in March.
La Liga Attackers Under 25 in 2025–26
| Víctor Muñoz| Nico Williams| Lamine Yamal| Abde Ezzalzouli
---|---|---|---|---
Appearances| 34| 25| 28| 29
Goals| 6| 6| 16| 10
Assists| 2| 3| 11| 8
xG| 7.8| 6.1| 13.9| 10
Shots| 81| 46| 117| 73
Successful Dribbles| 75| 67| 130| 39
Muñoz has likely been indentified by Liverpool’s decision makers as having the necessary ingredients to add drive and impetus into an attack that had become listless for large parts of last season.
He also fits well with new manager Iraola’s high-energy style and he has the versatility to play a number of positions across the forward line—though he most regularly featured wide on the left for Osasuna and Spain.
Given his age and profile, he is unlikely to be a direct Salah replacement, but should provide added competition for Gakpo, or even serve as the Dutchman’s replacement if he is moved on.
Why Didn’t Real Madrid Re-Sign Muñoz?
Víctor Muñoz made four appearances for Real Madrid. / Angel Martinez/Getty Images
When Muñoz joined Osasuna for €5 million ($5.75 million) from Real Madrid last summer, Los Blancos included a three-year buy-back clause in his deal, along with rights to 50% of any future transfer fee.
Prior to Liverpool’s interest there had been rumors that Madrid would move to bring back the emerging talent, given how well he performed at Osasuna.
However, it appears that ultimately Madrid have passed on the option to re-sign a player who made four appearances for the club, with new manager José Mourinho instead prioritizing a defensive overhaul this summer.
After impressing under Raúl in the Castilla B team, Muñoz made his senior debut for Real Madrid after replacing Vinícius Jr in the 88th minute of a 4–3 defeat against Barcelona in May 2025.
The youngster, who was born in Barcelona and also spent time at La Masía, closed his social media accounts after that game following abuse from fans for missing a one-on-one chance to level the score late on.
Should Liverpool’s deal for Muñoz’s transfer go through as expected for €40 million, Madrid will still bank €20 million ($23 million) as part of their sell-on agreement.
What Does Muñoz’s Signing Mean for Diomande Deal?
Yan Diomande shone on his World Cup debut against Ecuador. / Mauro Pimentel/AFP/Getty Images
Prior to news of this move, Liverpool had been heavily linked with RB Leipzig’s wonderkid winger Yan Diomande.
The 19-year-old, who is currently on duty with Côte d'Ivoire at the 2026 World Cup, is one of European football’s biggest talents after his own breakout season in Germany.
Reports suggest the Reds will need to pay more than €100m ($87 million) to convince RB Leipzig to sell their star asset, who is under contract until 2030.
While it would mean another summer of heavy spending, the signing of Muñoz does not rule out a move for Diomande. Liverpool are likely planning to sign more than one attacker to compensate for Salah’s exit, as well as the unclear futures of Chiesa and Gakpo, as well as Ekitiké’s long-term injury.
Speaking during the World Cup, Côte d’Ivoire manager Emerse Faé told reporters that Diomande will only consider his next move after the tournament is finished.
“When we were in France journalists told me he was about to sign with PSG,” Faé said after the victory over Ecuador. “Here, they tell me he’s about to sign with Liverpool!
“I don’t know, but for now, he will focus on the World Cup, and then afterwards, he can think about the rest of his career.”
How Might Liverpool Line Up With Muñoz?
Andoni Iraola has options at his disposal. / Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images
- (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Bradley, Jacquet, Van Dijk , Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Diomande, Wirtz,__Muñoz ; Isak
What’s clear is that with Muñoz, Liverpool are getting a versatile attacker able to operate in a number of positions.
While he has mostly operated as out wide in La Liga, the right-footed 22-year-old has also featured centrally and as a striker for Osasuna.
Muñoz’s strengths as a speedy winger lend themselves to Iraola’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system and expect to see him compete most regularly for minutes as the left winger, particularly if another right winger like Diomande is also acquired.
