Liverpool Sign Victor Munoz but Face Injury Concerns

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

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, again saw Liverpool steal a march on Newcastle, who believed they were close to landing the 22-year-old.

Instead, the former Barcelona academy prospect is heading to Merseyside. On paper, it’s a statement transfer. In reality, it has already come with a jolt of anxiety.

Liverpool land Munoz – but at a cost

Munoz joined Osasuna in 2025 from Real Madrid, where the European giants had inserted a buyback option. Madrid chose not to exercise it, clearing the way for Liverpool to pounce. The €40m clause has been triggered and will be paid in two instalments, with Madrid owed half of the proceeds.

Liverpool moved quickly. Hughes, still reshaping a squad that surrendered the Premier League title, identified Munoz as a key wide option, and the club acted with rare ruthlessness in the market. Newcastle, once again, were left watching from the outside.

The medical was arranged at Spain’s FIFA World Cup training base on Wednesday, according to multiple reports. Munoz had already reported for international duty complaining of a hamstring issue, but the expectation inside the Spain camp was that he would recover in time for their second group game.

That optimism has evaporated.

World Cup setback for Spain’s new Red

Spain opened their World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Cape Verde and face Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The plan was simple: manage Munoz’s workload, let the hamstring settle, then unleash his pace as the group stage unfolded.

Instead, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) has confirmed a fresh problem.

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

He is now ruled out of Sunday’s match against Saudi Arabia on June 21. Beyond that, his involvement in the rest of the tournament is in real doubt.

Spain lose a weapon. Liverpool gain a headache.

A familiar, unwelcome pattern at Anfield

For Hughes and Iraola, there is no concern over Munoz’s long-term fitness. This is not a career-threatening issue. But the timing is brutal, and the context is worse.

Liverpool’s last campaign was scarred by injuries to new arrivals. Giovanni Leoni, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike all endured long-term lay-offs in their first year at the club. Jeremie Frimpong and Giorgi Mamardashvili also spent chunks of the season battling various problems.

What was supposed to be a clean slate, a summer in which fresh signings could bed in smoothly and hit the ground running, has already been brushed by the same old narrative. Barely 24 hours after Munoz’s €40m move was completed, talk of a “curse” around Liverpool’s new recruits has resurfaced.

The club will shrug off that language internally, of course. The medical data will be pored over, the rehab plans drawn up, and the focus will be on having Munoz ready to explode into the Premier League once Spain’s World Cup journey ends.

For now, though, Liverpool’s first big move of the summer arrives with a familiar twist: huge excitement, undeniable quality, and an early test of how much bad luck one squad can absorb before the new season has even begun.