How Victor Munoz transfer will make Liverpool's forward line look next season
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.
How Liverpool could line up next season after the Reds fought off competition to landed Osasuna winger Victor MunozAndoni Iraola has made his first move in the summer transfer market and it is not the power play that many might have expected.The Reds have agreed a deal to sign Spanish winger Victor Munoz from Osasuna after activating his £34.5m release clause, swooping under the nose of Newcastle United to hijack their own prospective deal for the 22-year-old.Whilst all the early transfer talk on the Reds has focused on rising star Yan Diomande and France international Bradley Barcola, Iraola has begun his forward-line rebuild with a compatriot whom most Liverpool fans will know very little about.Munoz's pending arrival immediately adds a new dimension to the Reds' attacking options for next season, with the pacy winger appearing to finally replace the wide pace and dynamism that was lost after Luis Diaz joined Bayern Munich 12 months ago.As reported by ECHO's LFC correspondent Paul Gorst, Liverpool's transfer team has been profiling players who can get the best out of the club's record signings, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, and Munoz will be the first player to arrive as a consequence.The capture of the Spaniard does not affect the Reds' interest in RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande, who is regarded as one of the hottest new prospects playing on the continent. He made just two senior appearances for Los Blancos, but the appeal of a clear pathway into the first team at Liverpool under Iraola must have appeared to him more than a return to the Galactico environment of the Bernabeu.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE!
All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageShould Iraola succeed in capturing both Munoz and Diomande, then the lion's share of the attacking reshuffle for next season will be complete. Iraola has a second option in Hugo Ekitike, but the France international won't be seen back on the pitch for months after rupturing his Achilles.That leaves Cody Gakpo as a backup option, whilst in the wide areas, Rio Ngumoha can continue his emergence in the Premier League by vying for gametime with both Munoz and Diomande.
The Reds will want to raise some money to offset their transfer business this summer, after a huge outlay last year, and the Dutch international could be a candidate for departure.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page