Liverpool trigger £34m release clause to sign Osasuna winger Victor Munoz as Iraola's first recruit

Liverpool have secured their first signing of the Andoni Iraola era, triggering the €40 million (£34.6m) release clause in Osasuna winger Victor Munoz’s contract. The 22-year-old will join on a six-year deal, with the club beating off competition from Newcastle, Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester United and Real Madrid to land him.

Sporting director Richard Hughes and Fenway Sports Group’s chief executive of football Michael Edwards led the pursuit, but Iraola himself played a significant role in convincing Munoz to choose Anfield. The manager’s reputation for developing young players was a key factor, and Munoz completed his medical in Atalanta, where Spain are based during the World Cup.

The deal represents a remarkable rise for a player who only joined Osasuna from Real Madrid for €5m last July. One standout season in La Liga was enough to attract the attention of Europe’s top clubs, and Liverpool moved quickly to get the deal done — reportedly pipping Newcastle, who had been in talks with the player as recently as last week.

Munoz is a direct, old-school winger who stands at 5ft 8in and was clocked at 35kph (21mph) during the 2025/26 season, making him one of the quickest players in La Liga. “It’s a quality I’ve always had since I was little, but it’s true that as time goes by you work on it more specifically,” he said of his pace.

Right-footed but predominantly deployed on the left by Osasuna, Munoz is comfortable on either flank and capable of driving from deep to trigger counter-attacks. “I feel comfortable in any position,” he said. “It’s true that I feel at ease playing close to a striker, dropping deep to receive the ball and bringing it up.”

In terms of profile, Liverpool’s new signing draws closer comparisons to Luis Diaz — who left for Bayern Munich last summer — than to Mohamed Salah. With Rio Ngumoha the only natural left winger remaining in the squad following Diaz’s departure, Munoz arrives to fill a gap that has been open for over a year.