The breakout Spain winger Real Madrid and Barcelona are watching closely

AlavésAthletic ClubAtlético MadridBarcelonaCelta de VigoElcheEspanyolGetafeGironaLevanteMallorcaOsasunaRayo VallecanoReal BetisReal MadridReal OviedoReal SociedadSevillaValenciaVillarrealPodcastsCopa del ReyWorld Cup Victor Munoz has five goals and two assists for Osasuna this La Liga season Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images Share articleVictor Munoz is one of the biggest breakout stars of this La Liga season — and Real Madrid and Barcelona are both paying very close attention. The 22-year-old winger has 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 Basque 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 were to do so this summer, it would cost them €8million — but it is not fully clear if they will, and their El Clasico rivals Barca are considering their own move for Munoz. Here, The Athletic explains why he is such a hot property right now — and where Madrid and Barca stand. 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. Madrid will be acutely aware of Munoz’s talent when it comes to carrying the ball, an attribute that has been given a chance to thrive with Osasuna. The club from Pamplona field one of La Liga’s more direct, fast-attacking sides, and Munoz has found a home out on the left of a 4-2-3-1 system that provides 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 will often drift over to his side to exchange quick one-twos, while target-man striker Ante Budimir — La Liga’s third leading scorer this season with 16 goals — can hold the ball up for Munoz to run beyond, or provide a crossing option in the box at 6ft 3in (190cm). In effect, Munoz has 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. Here, also in that win against Girona, he is on hand on the right flank as Osasuna win back possession. Instantly offering himself for a pass, he turns away from the first challenge and prods the ball past a second before carrying quickly over to find Kike Barja on the opposite wing to launch an attack. Munoz’s low centre of gravity and tip-tapping feet allow him to swiftly change direction and slip between challenges, as we can see from our next example, against Atletico Madrid on October 18. Again, he has dropped into a deeper position to get on the ball, chopping inside with a sharp turn before pushing past an unbalanced Robin Le Normand and powering into space. It is a clip that not only shows the speed with which Munoz can turn defence into attack, but his positivity with the ball at his feet, driving at the heart of a retreating back line and shifting onto his stronger right side to shoot. Munoz can overdo it at times. He is an excitable attacking player who sometimes gets his head down and lets loose with optimistic long-range shots after skipping past the first man. But for now, such ambition should be encouraged. He is playing with freedom and shouldering an impressive amount of the attacking responsibility, given that this is his first full season at the top of the game. The scatterplot below illustrates the proportion of team shots and take-ons that each player attempts, showing Munoz alongside Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal for the incentive he shows in making things happen. Invariably, such ability and determination to make an impact lead to big moments in front of goal, demonstrated by this added-time effort to put Osasuna ahead in an eventual 3-1 win at Rayo Vallecano in January. Once more, Munoz receives the ball in a tight spot but is able to wriggle out of it with his tricky feet and upper-body strength, before using his pace to break free. His shot is deflected past goalkeeper Augusto Batalla, just reward for his fearless forward run. 🌪️ Un huracán llamado Víctor Muñoz. LALIGAHighlights | @Osasuna pic.twitter.com/UTzeGMSKvt — LALIGA (@LaLiga) January 28, 2026 Able to deal with the ball in tight spaces across the final third, it is clear what Barcelona and Madrid see in the young winger. Of similar appeal will be Munoz’s potential to break down low blocks. Though much of his best work for Osasuna has come in transition, his ability to accelerate quickly away from challenges and strike through the ball cleanly would provide a threat against more stubborn opposition. Here against Betis this month, for example, we see how quickly he can breeze past defenders after he slows them down, getting to the byline and pulling a dangerous ball across the face of goal. His creative output is arguably Munoz’s biggest area for improvement, particularly given how regularly he gets into promising positions with the ball. That stems from a mixture of decision-making — sometimes holding onto possession for too long, or failing to spot an easier pass — and inconsistencies with the quality of his delivery when crossing. But much like Abde now at Betis, or even someone like Jeremy Doku of Manchester City, there are areas that can be worked on and developed. The ability to get into such positions in the first place is the most valuable skill. As mentioned, Munoz hits through the ball well when shooting, with a growing collection of spectacular goals to his name. His first in La Liga was a brilliant curling effort from 28 yards against Elche in September, while he thumped home from a tight angle against Real Sociedad — with his weaker left foot — in mid-March. He often doesn’t hesitate to open up his body and curl shots towards the far corner, another ability that a top side signing him could call upon when they need inspiration against a deep defence. Munoz has even made a habit of attacking crosses at the back-post, having scored twice with his head despite standing at just 173cm (5ft 8in), pointing to good movement inside the penalty area. Munoz joined Real Madrid in July 2021, shortly after his 18th birthday, but he was born in Barcelona and was at their youth academy between the ages of 11 and 14. His sale last summer followed an established pattern in the ways that Madrid move youth players on. As well as those three buyback options, the club included a clause guaranteeing them 50 per cent of any future sale and another that requires Osasuna to inform them of offers made for him. Though Madrid have a great deal of control over the situation, they have not yet communicated their intentions regarding Munoz to either him or Osasuna. Sources close to the player — who, like all those consulted for this article, preferred to speak anonymously as they did not have permission to comment — say Premier League clubs have also shown interest. Barca are keen too, and the possibility of him rejoining them may influence Madrid’s decision making. The circumstances of Munoz’s Madrid senior debut were dramatic. He came on as an 88th substitute, for Vinicius Junior, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side 4-3 down at Barca in a decisive match late in last season’s La Liga title race on May 11. He had a one-on-one chance to equalise, but he sent his shot over the bar and was heavily criticised on social media afterwards, prompting him to disable comments on his Instagram profile. The following weekend, he shone in another appearance from the bench, this time for the final half hour, in a 2-0 home win against Sevilla. At the Club World Cup in the United States a month later, he played twice more as a late substitute in group matches against Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia and Mexico’s Pachuca. Then came his move to Osasuna in mid-July, a few days after Madrid’s exit from that tournament to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals. Madrid sources say the club do not ordinarily consider buying back their former youth players after just one season away, preferring to let them develop for a longer period, but Munoz is valued very highly at the Bernabeu and there is a real chance of him returning in the coming window. Sources close to the player, though, believe he may have a clearer path to elite first-team football at Barcelona. Munoz was part of the same age group as Alejandro Balde at Barca, and has also become close with their fellow academy graduate Yamal. He made his full international debut in a friendly against Serbia in Villarreal last month, replacing Mikel Oyarzabal midway through the second half and scoring the final goal in a 3-0 win. There is an outside chance he could make Luis de la Fuente’s World Cup squad next month. Munoz is high up on Barca sporting director Deco’s list of potential reinforcements and strengthening the forward line is seen as a priority, although there are many moving parts ahead of a busy summer — including whether they decide to try to make Marcus Rashford’s current loan from Manchester United permanent. Barca sources confirm the club are interested in Munoz and say that, were he to join, he would fill the role being played this season by 28-year-old England international Rashford. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms