Victor Munoz: Iraola’s First Signing at Liverpool

Victor Munoz has not yet kicked a ball for Liverpool, and he has not yet kicked one at this World Cup either. But his name is already sitting at the centre of two major stories – the dawn of the Andoni Iraola era at Anfield, and a young Spaniard fighting to keep a childhood dream alive.

Iraola’s call that changed everything

Liverpool moved with rare clarity. Once Iraola walked through the door earlier this month, the club finally acted on long-standing interest and triggered Munoz’s £34.5m release clause at Osasuna, beating Newcastle United to the punch.

Newcastle had pushed hardest and were closest to a deal. Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester United and Real Madrid – where Munoz made two senior appearances before leaving for Osasuna last year – all watched from a distance. The race looked like a Premier League tug of war.

Then Iraola stepped in.

Speaking to EFE in Spain, Munoz made it clear that his new head coach was decisive in tilting the move towards Merseyside.

"I've been focused on the World Cup, so I didn't want to hear much about my future unless it was something clear," he said. "Liverpool is an opportunity you can't miss.

"It all took place very quickly. Iraola transmitted his confidence to me, how his team plays. He had an important role when it came to choosing."

That trust mattered. Iraola wanted him as the first signing of his Liverpool reign, a statement piece as much as a tactical fit. A 22-year-old Spain international, hardened by a standout year at Osasuna, arriving not as a prospect to stash away but as a player with a clear role in mind.

For Munoz, leaving Pamplona was no simple goodbye.

"Osasuna, it's an incredible place. I will always keep it in my heart," he said. "They have made me live the best football year of my entire career."

He departs with gratitude, but also with the sense that the next step could define him.

World Cup on hold

While Liverpool fans pore over clips and scouting reports, Munoz finds himself stuck on the outside looking in with Spain.

A muscle injury has ruled him out of La Roja’s opening two World Cup matches – a shock draw with Cape Verde and a commanding win over Saudi Arabia. The tournament he had been building towards has started without him.

"We were carrying it (the injury), but I noticed a discomfort and we are trying to resume the process to be on the field as soon as possible," he explained.

The words are calm. The reality is not.

"They have been very complicated moments because this is the dream of a child and seeing that it can be twisted by an injury annoys you a lot."

The frustration runs deep. A World Cup is not just another call-up; for a 22-year-old on the rise, it is a stage that can reshape a career. Every missed minute feels like a door closing, or at least creaking shut.

Munoz has leaned heavily on support inside the Spain camp, particularly from Javier Lopez Vallejo, the team’s psychologist.

"Both abroad and here with Javi I have my talks. It helps me a lot, it helps me to see another perspective of everything that happens here. It's a pleasure to have him.

"My team-mates have been a fundamental pillar for me to be eager every day. [The World Cup] is the only thing I think about. It's a dream and I want to be on the pitch as soon as possible."

The ambition is undimmed. The clock is the problem.

Anfield awaits

For now, Munoz lives in two parallel timelines. One is the present: treatment tables, gym work, conversations with psychologists, and the gnawing question of whether he will play a meaningful part in this World Cup.

The other is what comes next: Iraola’s Liverpool, a new system, a new league, and the expectation that comes with a £34.5m fee and a manager who has already nailed his colours to the mast.

Liverpool did not just sign a talent. They signed a belief in how that talent should be used.

Munoz has already chosen his path. Once the muscle heals and the World Cup either reignites or slips away, all roads lead to Anfield. The only unknown now is whether he arrives as a World Cup protagonist or as a man still chasing the tournament that slipped through his fingers.