Liverpool have completed the signing of highly-rated young goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Belgian club Genk, with the towering shot-stopper set to immediately return to his former side on a season-long loan deal.
The 6ft7in Brughmans has put pen to paper on a long-term contract at Anfield, positioning himself as a potential long-term successor to Alisson between the posts. The Brazilian, who turns 34 next month, remains Liverpool's first-choice goalkeeper, but the club appear to be planning for the future with this acquisition.
Brughmans has already shown promise at youth international level, having captained Belgium's national team at both the U17 European Championships and the U17 World Cup in recent years. His rise through the ranks continued at club level when he was promoted to Genk's senior squad in April this year.
Since stepping up to first-team football, Brughmans has impressed, making ten league appearances for Genk and keeping five clean sheets during that span. He has continued to feature for the Belgian outfit this season, adding four more appearances to his tally before this transfer was finalized. Under the terms of the deal, he will now spend the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign on loan back at Genk, allowing him to continue gaining valuable first-team experience before potentially making the move to Merseyside on a permanent basis in the future.
The timing of the deal is notable, arriving just before Tuesday night's transfer deadline and amid ongoing speculation regarding Liverpool's goalkeeping department. Giorgi Mamardashvili has been widely regarded as the more immediate heir apparent to Alisson's No.1 jersey, though his situation at the club has been the subject of transfer talk. Mamardashvili has been linked with a move to Nottingham Forest, though those reports have gone quiet as the deadline approaches, leaving his future at Anfield uncertain for now.
Should Mamardashvili depart, it would leave Liverpool needing to reassess their goalkeeping hierarchy, though Brughmans' loan status means he would not be an immediate solution regardless of any outgoing move involving the Georgian shot-stopper.
Brughmans is not the only young goalkeeper Liverpool are developing away from Anfield this season. Armin Pecsi, a 21-year-old Hungarian regarded as another strong prospect for the club's long-term goalkeeping future, has also been sent out on loan, joining Austrian side TSV Hartberg for the campaign. This sets up an intriguing dynamic between the two young stoppers, both of whom will be vying to eventually establish themselves as Liverpool's long-term successor to Alisson.
For now, Liverpool's focus in goal remains on Alisson as their established first-choice, with the club seemingly content to allow both Brughmans and Pecsi to continue their development on loan rather than thrusting them into first-team contention immediately. The approach reflects a broader strategy of building goalkeeping depth for the years ahead, even as questions persist over Mamardashvili's long-term role at the club.
With the transfer window drawing to a close, all eyes will be on whether further moves materialize in Liverpool's goalkeeping department before Tuesday's deadline passes, particularly regarding Mamardashvili's future amid the reported interest from Nottingham Forest.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport (football).