Víctor Muñoz, the former Barcelona and Madrid youth player now wanted by both clubs

Osasuna’s 22-year-old winger Víctor Muñoz has become the unexpected focus of a Clásico tug-of-war after a breakthrough La Liga campaign that has drawn serious interest from both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Born in the rare overlap of La Masia and La Fábrica, Muñoz left Madrid’s academy for first-team minutes in Pamplona, and the gamble has paid off spectacularly: direct dribbling, relentless aggression against full-backs, and a Spain debut that yielded a goal against Serbia without a hint of nerves.

Barcelona’s need is immediate. With Raphinha hampered by recurring hamstring problems, Hansi Flick has been forced to improvise on the flanks. Club scouts, first reported by Mundo Deportivo, see Muñoz as a natural solution—an old-school touchline-hugger who stretches defenses and beats markers without elaborate support. Yet any Blaugrana approach is complicated by Madrid’s lingering grip on the player’s future.

Los Blancos retain 50% of Muñoz’s economic rights and, crucially, an €8 million buy-back clause that becomes active this summer. In a market that already values him near €20 million, that figure looks like daylight robbery. Osasuna’s release clause is set at €40 million, of which Madrid would pocket half; offers below that threshold were rebuffed in January, including bids from English clubs, and the Navarrese side have no intention of softening their stance.

According to El Debate, Madrid’s plan is straightforward: trigger the buy-back, re-incorporate the winger into the squad, and then decide whether he competes for minutes at the Bernabéu or heads out on another strategic loan. The only certainty is that strengthening Barcelona is not part of the equation.

Until the summer chessboard is set, Muñoz continues to terrorize La Liga defenses, fully aware that his next explosive run down the right wing could tip the balance of a transfer saga that stretches from Catalonia to the Spanish capital.