Liverpool have today announced the signing of teenage goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga from Fluminense in a statement on the club’s official website.
The Reds have acted as a hub for some of the finest talent European football has to offer in recent years, hence their recent success both domestically and on the continent. They will be hoping that Pitaluga can follow in the footsteps of some of the club’s success stories.
The 17-year-old tasted glory with his country Brazil last calendar year as they won the U17 World Cup. To complete what will no doubt have been superb year for the youngster, he’s now officially a Liverpool player.
Welcome to the Reds, Marcelo Pitaluga ??
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 8, 2020
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You could be forgiven if this is the first you have heard of Marcelo Pitaluga, but LFC goalkeeping head John Achterberg has given the Reds faithful an insight into why they made the move to acquire him from Fluminense.
He’s quoted by the club’s website saying:
“I saw him for the first time in the World Cup squad. You’re checking all the goalies and looking at the ages. You see that he was in the World Cup squad one year younger than the rest of the squad, then you think that’s worth a look because normally you have two goalkeepers of the same age, but if you have someone who is a year younger you think he may have some good attributes.
“He was at Fluminense; we got some games to look at, all the other goalie coaches also look at it – Jack [Robinson] and the Academy coaches Mark [Morris] and Taff [Neil Edwards]. And, of course, I speak to the gaffer and the rest of the coaching department here.”
“In Fluminense we had Allan [on loan], so I spoke to Julian [Ward, loan pathways and football partnerships manager] if he saw a little bit of him in training there. He saw him too and was also positive.”
Jurgen Klopp has somewhat of an injury crisis to deal with between the sticks, with Alisson out injured, but you’d imagine that an induction into the first-team would be a step too far for Pitaluga – for now.
Traditionally, goalkeepers don’t peak until their late 20s, so we may have to wait some time to see the best of Pitaluga. One thing’s for sure, though, the last time Liverpool signed a Brazilian keeper – he wasn’t half bad.