Liverpool Signs Victor Munoz: First Scare of the Season

Liverpool have their first signing of the 2026/27 season – and, already, their first scare.

Victor Munoz, the highly rated Spain winger, has completed a six-year move to Anfield after sporting director Richard Hughes triggered his €40m release clause at Osasuna. The deal, struck swiftly at the request of head coach Andoni Iraola, sees Real Madrid collect half of the fee thanks to a sell-on clause inserted when Munoz left the Bernabeu in 2025.

Madrid also chose not to exercise their buyback option, clearing the runway for Liverpool to move. Newcastle thought they were in pole position for the former Barcelona academy product, only to be overtaken late by the outgoing Premier League champions. Liverpool moved fast. Faster than anyone on Tyneside expected.

A deal done – and a problem revealed

The transfer was wrapped up around Spain’s FIFA World Cup camp, where Munoz underwent his medical on Wednesday at the national team’s training facilities. It should have been a formality. Instead, it exposed the first complication of his Liverpool career.

Munoz had already reported for international duty with a hamstring complaint, though Spain initially believed he would recover in time for their second group game. After a 1-1 draw with Cape Verde on matchday one, the plan was simple: manage his workload, then unleash his pace against Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

That plan has now been torn up.

The Spanish football federation (RFEF) has confirmed a setback in his recovery, ruling him out of the Saudi Arabia fixture on June 21 and casting doubt over his involvement later in the tournament.

“During the scheduled and individualized recovery process, an additional muscle injury has occurred that will delay his return to competition,” read a federation statement, as reported by Marca. “His availability for the upcoming matches will depend on the evolution of his symptoms.”

For Spain, it is a tactical blow. For Liverpool, it is a familiar chill down the spine.

The “new signing” curse strikes again

Liverpool insist there is no concern over Munoz’s long-term fitness. This is not a career-altering issue. But the timing could hardly be more uncomfortable for a club that spent last season fighting a constant battle with the treatment room, particularly when it came to fresh arrivals.

Giovanni Leoni, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike all endured long-term injuries during their first year on Merseyside, disrupting plans and stretching Iraola’s options. Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili also suffered their own injury problems, never quite enjoying a clean run to fully bed in.

The hope inside the club was clear: a reset summer, a clean slate, new signings landing smoothly and hitting rhythm early. Instead, within 24 hours of Munoz sealing his €40m move, the narrative has veered back towards talk of a “curse.”

It is too early to lean into superstition. But it is not too early for Liverpool to feel frustrated.

High stakes for club and country

Munoz, 22, arrives with the profile Liverpool crave: quick, direct, technically sharp, and already hardened by La Liga. Osasuna gave him a platform after his Real Madrid exit, and he responded with the kind of performances that force big clubs to act. Hughes did not hesitate.

Now the club must wait.

Spain will monitor his progress day by day as they continue their World Cup campaign, still hoping the winger can feature if they advance deeper into the tournament. Liverpool, meanwhile, will track every medical bulletin from afar, desperate for clarity before pre-season plans fully take shape.

For Iraola, the equation is simple. He has pushed for this signing. He wants Munoz on the grass, not on the massage table.

If the setback proves minor and the recovery straightforward, this week will be remembered as a brief scare at the start of a long, successful Anfield chapter. If it drags, the questions will grow louder around Liverpool’s luck – and judgment – with their marquee arrivals.

Either way, when Munoz finally pulls on that red shirt, there will be no easing-in period. After this start, expectations and scrutiny will greet him from the first stride.