Brughmans joins Liverpool in deal worth up to £30m

Liverpool have signed young goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Belgian club Genk in a deal that could be worth up to £30 million, with add-ons included. The 18-year-old goalkeeper, who stands at 6ft 7in, agreed to a six-year contract with Liverpool. He will be playing on loan at Genk for the remainder of the current season before joining Anfield for the start of the 2027-28 season.

Brughmans has made all four appearances for Genk this season and has also represented Belgium at youth levels. The acquisition of Brughmans follows other recent signings by Liverpool's global talent department, including Senegal's Mor Talla N'diaye and Austria's Ifeanyi Ndukwe, both of whom impressed at the U17 World Cup in Qatar. Goalkeeper Armin Pecsi and midfielder Samuel Martinez have also joined the Reds in recent months from Hungary and Colombia, respectively. Pecsi is currently on loan at TSV Hartberg in Germany.

With Alisson's contract set to expire next summer and the future of fellow goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili looking uncertain, Brughmans will become an option for Liverpool from the summer of 2027 onwards. The initial fee for the signing, along with potential follow-up payments, could reach around £30 million, although the exact figure is still being negotiated. Currently, Liverpool's goalkeeping options include Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman, and Vitezslav Jaros.