A version of this piece was first published in April 2026. It has been updated to reflect Liverpool agreeing a deal to sign Victor Munoz from Osasuna.Victor Munoz was one of the biggest breakout stars in La Liga last season — and Real Madrid and Barcelona were both paying very close attention.The 22-year-old winger made 34 appearances for Osasuna in what is his first full campaign at elite level, scoring six goals and assisting five more, after joining the Pamplona-based club for €5million (£4.3m; $5.9m at the current rates), plus a further €1m in potential add-ons, from Madrid last July.As part of that deal, the Bernabeu giants made sure they had options to buy him back after each of the following three seasons. If they had done so this summer, it would have only cost them €8million. Barca had been considering a move for Munoz and Newcastle United were also interested and held talks with Osasuna, but it is Liverpool who have swooped to pay the Spain international’s €40million (£34.6m) release clause.Here, The Athletic explains what Liverpool are getting for a player who is part of Spain’s World Cup squad…In many respects, Munoz is a throwback winger.Pacy, skilful and energetic, he rarely passes up an opportunity to run at his full-back and get to the byline. Against more compact defensive units, he makes the most of space on the flanks, but he can also lead his team on the counter-attack and act as a pressure release against possession-dominant sides.His player pizza chart below highlights his dribbling ability, ranking Munoz in the 98th percentile (ie, only two per cent are better than him) of wide players across Europe’s top five domestic leagues for take-ons per 100 touches. He also drives forward with the ball frequently — close to a third of his carries are considered progressive — while he keeps his passes short and sharp and does not shy away from taking a shot.Munoz’s talent when it comes to carrying the ball was given a chance to thrive with Osasuna.The club from Pamplona field one of La Liga’s more direct, fast-attacking sides, and Munoz found a home out on the left of their 4-2-3-1 system which provided him with space to gallop into on the break. In the 1-0 win against Girona on March 21, Munoz attempted eight take-ons and seven shots as he served as an outlet down the flanks, receiving 20 forward passes and linking up well with scampering left-back Javi Galan.Talented attacking midfielder Aimar Oroz would drift over to his side to exchange quick one-twos, while target-man striker Ante Budimir — La Liga’s third top scorer last season with 17 goals — would hold the ball up for Munoz to run beyond, or provide a crossing option in the box at 6ft 3in (190cm). In effect, Munoz helped replace the dynamism Osasuna lost with the summer 2023 departure of Barcelona loanee Abde Ezzalzouli, a similarly stocky, quick-stepping winger now forging a strong career at Real Betis.Munoz’s impact is not restricted to the flanks. He is an endlessly enthusiastic winger who will drop deep to get on the ball and drag his team up the pitch.