Liverpool have landed Andoni Iraola ideal new signing as exciting transfer start made

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.

What Liverpool can expect from Victor Munoz after they made a surprise swoop for the 22-year-old Spain international wingerLiverpool have confirmed the signing of Spain winger Victor Munoz after the Osasuna man completed a medical in Tennessee and agreed to a six-year deal that will see him form part of Andoni Iraola's new-look forward line.The Reds activated the Osasuna man's £34.5m release clause in a deal reported on Thursday morning (June 18) - by the end of the day the deal was done.Munoz's arrival is the first step in an anticipated rejuvenation of the Liverpool attack after the exit of Mohamed Salah but, in truth, his is a signing few expected.Various attacking players had been linked with the Reds in transfer columns but the Spaniard's name was not among them. Munoz's first youth side was Sant Adria de Besos in his native Catalonia before spending three years at Barcelona's iconic talent factory, La Masia.He later joined Real Madrid's youth ranks from fellow Catalan youth team CF Damm, and progressed all the way to Los Blancos' first team having spent time with Madrid's C-team and then B-team, Castilla.It was while climbing the ranks at Real Madrid that Munoz's pace was really noticed, with the youngster identified as the fastest player in the club's setup.Like Diomande, Munoz made his senior debut against one of Spain's top two, coming on for Vinicius Junior as Madrid trailed 3-2 against Barcelona on May 11, 2025 with the title race still in the balance.It was a baptism of fire for Munoz and an incredible show of trust from Carlo Ancelotti - sadly one that did not pay off.Munoz missed a one-on-one with Wojciech Szczesny that would have seen Madrid equalise in the dying minutes, and received disgusting abuse on social media from Madrid 'supporters' in the aftermath.Ancelotti, reflecting on the experience, backed Munoz to overcome the disappointment.

The next chance he gets, because he's a very good player, let him score it."Leaving Madrid for Osasuna was a brave step for Munoz, and one that paid off. In another sign of what makes him ideal for Iraola, Munoz is versatile and played across the front three last season including 10 games on the right and four centrally.His performances for a struggling Osasuna side who only avoided relegation on goal difference earned him a first national team call-up for the March friendlies.Munoz came on up front for Spain against Serbia with 27 minutes remaining, and enjoyed a fairy-tale moment as he scored on his international debut.Including this game, Munoz scored three and assisted one from five games when playing through the middle last season, a promising return that reflects the positive finishing numbers he racked up over the course of the season.Though it is a small sample size to draw conclusions from, it is encouraging that Munoz overperformed his xG (expected goals) of 5.86 - scoring six, but also generating 7.48 xGOT (expected goals on target), which indicates he places his shots well.Just two assists, however, shows room for improvement.

This is no huge cause for concern - after all, this kind of positivity is precisely why Liverpool are signing him - but it does indicate that there is still plenty of room for the winger to refine his game.In the greatest achievement of his short career to date, Munoz was confirmed to be part of Spain's 26-man squad for the World Cup and will hope to make a maiden appearance in the competition having overcome a minor fitness issue to join up with La Roja.For the Reds, this almost certainly means he will not join up with Iraola's charges for pre-season until late in the summer. Spain are expected to go far in the World Cup, so there is every chance he will not be involved until Liverpool return from their tour of the US for the two final Anfield friendlies against Monaco (August 9) and Como (August 16).Before then, the Reds have other transfer market business to see to, and Munoz's status in the squad will likely be clearer by the time he makes even his first non-competitive appearance in Red.Nevertheless, securing the Catalan's services represents an exciting start to the summer for Liverpool and immediately adds a new dynamic to their attack that supporters can look forward to enjoying next season.