Young Brazilian goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga is expected to sign for Liverpool this week as he leaves his boyhood club, Fluminense.
Pitaluga, 17, will be a part of the Liverpool U23s squad this season where he will battle it out for the number one spot with Irish youngster Caoimhin Kelleher.
As reported in Neil Jones’ piece for Goal.com, Pitaluga holds a German passport which enables him to move from Fluminense before he turns 18.
Pitaluga has played for Brazil at underage levels and won the U17s World Cup in 2019 with his country.
Jones’ article states that:
The Reds have agreed a deal that could cost them up to £2 million ($2.6m) for the 17-year-old, who will join the club’s academy set-up initially.
Pitaluga, who was part of the Brazilian under-17 squad which won their age-group World Cup on home soil in 2019, is due to arrive on Merseyside to complete a medical and finalise his move.
Pitaluga apparently was highly recommended to Jürgen Klopp and co by Liverpool’s current Brazil international stopper, Alisson Becker. Alisson’s brother, Muriel, is actually the first-choice goalkeeper for Pitaluga’s current club, Fluminense.
Jones also gave some further details on the deal involved for Pitaluga:
Pitaluga has been with Fluminense since the age of seven, and Goal understands the Brazilian club have negotiated a 25 per cent sell-on clause with Liverpool.
The initial fee is believed to be £700,000 ($900,000), with a further £1.2m ($1.5m) made up of performance-related add-ons.
Pitaluga leaves Fluminense without making a senior appearance, but with the club’s best wishes.
The young goalkeeper has said his goodbyes to Fluminense via social media where he posted the following message:
“I am very grateful to Fluminense.
“I was 10 years at this club, from futsal, passing through, until I reached the professional ranks. I have always been treated very well and had all the assistance necessary for my development, both personally and as an athlete.
“This opportunity that came up will be very important to me. It was a unique opportunity, mainly for having a European passport.”
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