Liverpool Signs Victor Munoz – Injury Concerns Loom
Liverpool have their first signing of the 2026/27 season – and already a familiar anxiety.
Victor Munoz, the highly rated Spain winger, has completed a six-year move to Anfield after sporting director Richard Hughes activated his €40m release clause at Osasuna. The deal, struck swiftly and decisively, underlines Liverpool’s intent to refresh their attack under Andoni Iraola. It also arrives with an unwelcome twist.
Liverpool beat Newcastle – and Real Madrid step aside
Newcastle believed they were close. They had pushed hard for Munoz, the former Barcelona academy talent who rebuilt his career via Real Madrid and then Osasuna. But when Iraola made it clear he wanted the winger, Liverpool moved with the kind of speed they often reserve for their most coveted targets.
Hughes triggered the €40m clause, with the fee to be paid in two instalments. Real Madrid, who sold Munoz to Osasuna in 2025, had a buyback option but chose not to use it. Instead, they will collect half of the proceeds from the deal, a healthy return on a player they allowed to leave just a year earlier.
For Liverpool, it is another transfer victory over Newcastle, who have repeatedly found themselves a step behind the outgoing Premier League champions in the market.
Medical drama at Spain camp
The formalities were completed in Spain rather than Merseyside. Munoz underwent his medical at Spain’s FIFA World Cup training base on Wednesday, with reports at the time suggesting only minor concern over a hamstring complaint he brought with him to camp.
Spain had drawn 1-1 with Cape Verde in their opening group game and face Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The expectation inside the camp was that Munoz would recover in time to feature in that second group match, easing his way back and showcasing himself on the global stage just days after sealing a move to Anfield.
That plan has been torn up.
The Spanish football federation (RFEF) has confirmed a setback in his recovery. During his tailored rehabilitation work, Munoz sustained an additional muscle injury that will delay his return to action.
He is now ruled out of Sunday’s clash with Saudi Arabia on June 21. His involvement in the rest of the tournament is in serious doubt, with the RFEF stating only that his availability “will depend on the evolution of his symptoms.”
Anfield’s new-signing injury cloud
For Hughes and Iraola, the news lands with a thud. There is no question over Munoz’s long-term fitness, but Liverpool’s recent history with new arrivals and injuries makes this development feel uncomfortably familiar.
Last season, the club’s recruitment drive was repeatedly undermined by physical setbacks. Giovanni Leoni, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike all suffered long-term injuries in their first year at Anfield, stalling plans and stretching the squad. Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili also endured spells on the sidelines, adding to a sense of a campaign constantly being patched together.
The hope this summer was for a clean slate: new faces bedding in smoothly, establishing rhythm, and giving Iraola a full hand to play from the opening weeks. Instead, just 24 hours after Munoz’s €40m move was finalised, the talk has already turned to scans, recovery timelines and risk management.
Liverpool will be relieved that the issue is not considered a threat to his long-term career. They will also know that a 22-year-old winger with Munoz’s speed and directness is worth a measure of patience.
Still, for a club desperate to leave last season’s injury narrative behind, the first signing of the new era arriving with a fresh muscle problem feels like a storyline they have seen too often.
When Munoz finally pulls on that red shirt and stretches his legs down the Anfield touchline, Liverpool will hope the only thing anyone remembers about this week is the price tag, not the curse.
