Get to know Rodrigo Muniz… Newcastle United eyeing striker who gave Virgil van Dijk ‘torrid’ time

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Rodrigo Muniz is a striker for Fulham who Newcastle United are eyeing in the summer transfer window.

Newcastle United have endured a dreadful transfer window and have lost out on nearly all of their top targets, like Hugo Ekitike and James Trafford, with only Anthony Elanga signed so far.

Benjamin Sesko is the latest to slip through their fingers, with Newcastle believing he is heading to Manchester United to join up with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

Missing out on Sesko must surely mean Alexander Isak can’t be sold, but Newcastle still need another striker even if he stays.

That’s where Rodrigo Muniz comes in and here’s everything you need to know.

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Rodrigo Muniz to Newcastle United transfer news

Newcastle’s list of possible forward signings seems to be shrinking with every passing week as rival clubs sign everyone they’re interested in.

As it emerged that Newcastle were unlikely to sign Sesko, The Daily Mail reported that Muniz had been added to their shortlist.

It was added that though no high-level talks have taken place, ‘intermediaries’ have been in discussions about a possible switch, with a £40m price tag mooted.

Fulham want to keep hold of Muniz and have even rejected a bid from Leeds United this summer, with it being suggested they would want £50m to part with him.

How old is Rodrigo Muniz?

Born on May 4, 2001, in Sao Domingos do Prata, Brazil, Muniz is 24 years old as of July 2025.

That puts him at a great age for Newcastle to sign him, as he’s already experienced and talented but still has lots of gas in the tank and room to grow.

How tall is Rodrigo Muniz?

Muniz stands at 6’1″ tall, coupled with a strong and broad frame.

This makes him a great hybrid of a powerful target man who can hold the ball up and bring others into play and a pacey striker with a keen eye for goal.

Rodrigo Muniz salary

Though it’s difficult to believe, SalarySport claims that Muniz earns just £10,000 a week, £520,000 a year, at Fulham.

That seems far too low for a quality Premier League striker but Newcastle should be able to offer him a big pay rise at St. James’ Park.

Rodrigo Muniz goals and stats

Muniz’s stats for the four clubs he’s played for in his career so far.

Rodrigo Muniz Instagram account

Muniz has a strong following of 384k on his official Instagram account @r.muniz.

He also has an official X, formerly Twitter, account @RodrigoMuniz09 with over 25k followers.

Praise for Rodrigo Muniz

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has been very impressed with Muniz in the past.

Speaking on Match of the Day, the iconic striker said after Muniz scored twice against Bournemouth in 2024: “He really was a handful. Tough to play against, horrible to play against in fact.

“That’s always a good thing for a centre-forward, that’s what you have to be.

“He was strong, he ran the channels, he brought players into the game and he really upset the Bournemouth defenders in every way, in everything he was doing. He was willing to run in behind and on one of the occasions he does it, they get their first goal because of it.

“They [Fulham] got balls into the box for him and he was first to react. He understood the situation and got there first. He was barging defenders out of the way and I really enjoyed his performance. That’s what you have to do.

“We haven’t seen enough of him because he’s been out on loan or injured or whatever it is, but he has got a real opportunity to stake a claim and stay in there [in the team].

“He’s got to produce that every week now. I mean, they have signed Armando Broja on loan but Muniz has got an opportunity to stay in there if he keeps performing like that.”

Shearer named him in his Team of the Week in April 2025 after he scored against Liverpool and took on Virgil van Dijk in a similar fashion to Isak.

He wrote: “The Fulham forward gave Van Dijk and Liverpool’s backline a torrid afternoon.”