Liverpool signs Victor Munoz for €40m amid injury concerns
Liverpool have their first signing of the 2026/27 season – and he is already a storyline before kicking a ball.
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 at the request of head coach Andoni Iraola, once again saw Liverpool nip in ahead of Newcastle, who believed they were close to landing the former Barcelona academy product themselves.
Liverpool win the race – and pay the price
Munoz only joined Osasuna in 2025 from Real Madrid, where the Spanish giants had inserted a buyback option. Madrid chose not to exercise it, clearing the path for Liverpool to move decisively. The clause has been triggered and will be paid in two instalments, with Madrid due half of the total fee.
For Liverpool, it is a statement signing: a 22-year-old wide man with La Liga pedigree and a profile tailored to Iraola’s high-intensity, front-foot football. For Newcastle, it is another near-miss at the top end of the market. For Madrid, it is a tidy profit without lifting a finger.
The move was formalised while Munoz was on international duty, with a medical carried out at Spain’s FIFA World Cup training base on Wednesday, according to various reports. All seemed routine. Until it wasn’t.
From routine medical to World Cup worry
Munoz had joined up with Spain complaining of a hamstring issue, but initial expectations were calm: he was tipped to recover in time for La Roja’s second group game. Spain, who opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Cape Verde, face Saudi Arabia on Sunday and had hoped to have the winger available.
That plan has been ripped up.
The Spanish football federation (RFEF) has confirmed a setback in Munoz’s recovery. The new Liverpool signing has been ruled out of Sunday’s fixture on June 21, and his involvement in the rest of the tournament is now in serious doubt.
“During the scheduled and individualized recovery process, an additional muscle injury has occurred that will delay his return to competition,” read a federation statement, quoted by Marca. “His availability for the upcoming matches will depend on the evolution of his symptoms.”
For Spain, it is a blow to their attacking options. For Liverpool, it is an unwelcome echo.
A familiar and uncomfortable theme
Injuries stalked Liverpool’s new arrivals last season. What looked like a reset year quickly turned into a medical logbook.
- Giovanni Leoni
- Alexander Isak
- Hugo Ekitike
all endured long-term absences in their first campaign at the club. Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili also had their own fitness issues, disrupting rhythm and continuity just as they were trying to bed into a new environment and a demanding system.
The hope at Anfield this summer was simple: a clean slate. New signings, full pre-seasons, a fresh platform for Iraola to build on the outgoing Premier League champions’ foundations.
Instead, within 24 hours of Munoz’s €40m switch being completed, the so‑called “curse” has reared its head again.
Liverpool are not concerned about Munoz’s long-term fitness. This is not a transfer under threat, nor a player whose future is in question. But it is a jarring start to a relationship that was supposed to explode into life on the biggest stages of both club and country.
For now, Liverpool must wait. Spain must improvise. And Munoz, the quicksilver winger earmarked to light up the Premier League, has to focus on healing before he can start justifying the faith – and the fee – that have already made him one of the most watched young players in Europe.
