Andoni Iraola took page out of Jurgen Klopp's book to secure Victor Munoz deal
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Victor Munoz has become the first signing of the Andoni Iraola era at Liverpool, with the Spanish forward joining the Reds from Osasuna after a personal call from the manager convinced him to choose Anfield over rival clubsAndoni Iraola spoke to Victor Munoz over the phone to get his Liverpool switch done(Image: Andrew Powell, Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has already borrowed a page from Jurgen Klopp's playbook by employing the same transfer strategy that helped the German secure his first signing at Anfield.Spanish international Victor Munoz became the inaugural recruit of the Iraola era last week when he signed a six-year deal with the Reds. The part played by Iraola also proved crucial, with the former Bournemouth manager repeating a tactic used by Anfield legend Klopp more than a decade ago.Shortly after succeeding Arne Slot, Iraola told Liverpool's top brass that he was a great admirer of Munoz and felt the Spaniard would be a perfect fit for his high-tempo, pressing style of play.
The two subsequently held an in-depth phone conversation during which Iraola explained precisely how he intended to utilize the winger.Jurgen Klopp used a similar tactic to secure the services of Marko Grujic, his first signing as Liverpool's manager(Image: ( John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))That conversation ultimately persuaded Munoz that Liverpool was the right move, despite mounting interest from rival clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester United. It was a tactic that proved equally effective for Klopp when he arrived at Anfield in October 2015.Midfielder Marko Grujic became the first acquisition of the German's tenure, joining in January 2016 from boyhood club Red Star Belgrade in a deal worth £5.1 million.The Serbian international had attracted attention from a number of top European clubs, including Chelsea, Inter, AC Milan, and Juventus, but opted for Liverpool after Klopp made an unexpected personal call."His vision is that I should be something between a No.
10, what they call a box-to-box midfielder," Grujic explained shortly after signing.Munoz will arrive at Anfield after Liverpool hijacked Newcastle's deal for the Spanish attacker(Image: Europa Press Sports, Europa Press via Getty Images)"My only request was that I didn't want to be loaned out, I just want to play for Liverpool. That call really cemented my desire to join Liverpool."Regrettably, things failed to unfold as anticipated once he arrived on Merseyside, with Grujic managing a mere eight Premier League outings across a four-year stint with the Reds.Three of those seasons were spent away on loan at Cardiff City and Hertha Berlin, before he sealed a permanent switch to Portuguese outfit Porto in 2020.