Liverpool have pulled off a major coup in the transfer market, securing the signing of 18-year-old Genk goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans in a deal worth up to £30 million.
The Premier League club beat off fierce competition from European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Real Madrid to land the highly rated Belgian youngster according to reports. The agreement is structured around an initial £28.3 million fee, with a further £1.7 million in potential add-ons.
Brughmans has put pen to paper on a six year contract at the AXA Training Centre following a medical, but will immediately return to Genk to spend the remainder of the 2026-27 season on loan in the Belgian Pro League.
Liverpool do hold a clause allowing them to recall the teenager as early as January, though that option is considered unlikely to be exercised.
The fee makes Brughmans the most expensive goalkeeper in Jupiler Pro League history and the fourth-most expensive sale overall from the Belgian top flight.
Command of the Box and Rapid Rise
Standing at an imposing 6’7″, Brughmans has built a reputation across Europe as a modern, commanding presence who dominates his penalty area.
His path to senior football has accelerated rapidly over the past year. After making 32 appearances for Genk’s B team, the teenager was promoted to the senior setup in April 2026. He quickly cemented himself as the club’s first-choice number one, making 15 first-team appearances in total keeping six clean sheets and conceding 15 goals.
Brughmans has also carried that momentum into the current campaign, starting all four matches for Genk so far this term.
On the international stage, his leadership qualities have shone through; he captained Belgium at both the U17 European Championships and the U17 World Cup, and now wears the armband for his country's U19 squad.
Long-Term Goalkeeping Strategy at Anfield
The sizeable investment highlights Liverpool's proactive approach to succession planning between the posts. Alisson Becker remains the undisputed first-choice at Anfield, but the Brazilian turns 34 next month and his current contract is set to expire next summer.
Brughmans joins an evolving group of young goalkeeping prospects on the books, including Vitezslav Jaros, Armin Pecsi, Harvey Davies, and Kornel Misciur.
Meanwhile, Giorgi Mamardashvili is widely viewed as another potential heir to the gloves, though his long-term role remains subject to squad developments after he was also involved in his own transfer story with Nottingham Forest interested in his services but he will remain at Anfield this season and the rest depends on Alisson's contract status.
For now, Liverpool's newest recruit will continue his development in Belgium, with Anfield chiefs confident they have secured one of world football's most promising young talents for the future.
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