Brughmans joins Liverpool in deal worth up to £30m

Liverpool have completed the signing of 18‑year‑old goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Belgian club Genk in a deal worth up to £30 million including add‑ons. Brughmans has agreed a six‑year contract with the Reds and will remain at Genk on loan for the current season before joining Anfield ahead of the 2027‑28 campaign. The Belgian keeper, who stands 6 ft 7 in, has started all four of Genk’s matches this season and has represented his country at youth level. BBC Sport understands that the agreement includes an initial fee plus add‑on payments, with the total figure of around £30 million representing the maximum possible value. At present Liverpool’s goalkeeping options are Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman and Vitezslav Jaros, but with Alisson’s contract due to expire next summer and Mamardashvili’s future uncertain, Brughmans will provide an alternative from the summer of 2027 onward. The transfer was orchestrated by Liverpool’s global talent department, headed by Matt Newberry. Earlier this year the club added Senegal’s Mor Talla N’diaye and Austria’s Ifeanyi Ndukwe after the teenage centre‑backs impressed at the U17 World Cup in Qatar, while goalkeeper Armin Pecsi and midfielder Samuel Martinez arrived from Hungary and Colombia respectively over the past twelve months. Pecsi is currently on loan at TSV Hartberg in Germany.