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The signing of Thiago Alcantara is the big show in the city of Liverpool right now, but he’s not the only signing on the horizon.
Late last week, it was revealed that the Reds were closing in on a deal for teenage goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga of Fluminense.
The Premier League champions agreed to a fee in the region of £ 700,000 for the 17-year-old cap.
He has since flown to Merseyside to complete his medical examination with Anfield officials who hope to close the deal imminently.
Fluminense has a 25 per cent sale clause embedded in the contract with Liverpool that pays add-ons that could bring the sum to around £ 2 million.
Transfers between continents for players under the age of 18 are fraught with difficulties, but Pitaluga’s German passport has allowed the Reds to take advantage of a more fluid process than usual.
“I am very grateful to Fluminense,” said Pitaluga. “I was 10 years in this club, from futsal, going through, until I reached the professional category.
“They have always treated me very well and I have had all the necessary assistance for my development, both personal and athlete.
“This opportunity that arose will be very important to me. It was a unique opportunity, mainly to have a European passport.”
Pitaluga, who was part of the Brazilian Under-17 team that won the World Cup in November, first appeared on Liverpool’s radar last year.
Goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, a man who is affectionately described as “a goalie maniac,” is known for scouring the world to discover the brightest young talents in the ranks.
And it is understood that it was his hard work that first alerted Anfield officials to the talents of their new goalkeeper.
“I have about four out of five thousand reports of some goalkeepers that you look at 10 or 15 times and then keep track of it,” he told ECHO last year.
“If you think they can be okay for us, you have to keep following them and you should always prepare for a number 1, 2 or 3. And then in the middle you try to find younger goalkeepers.
“You try to find out about the 14, 15 or 16 year olds. Do we need one? Can we bring them in? And that’s obviously in combination with the Academy there.
“So I suggest it and take a look. If you can bring it up and we take a look with Jack [Robinson] (goalkeeping coach) and we also took a look, to see if there is a possibility of bringing them to the club. “
Pitaluga was identified as a potential target and while the youngster played as a substitute for Matheus Donelli in Brazil last November, the club decided he was a talent worth pursuing.
Their performances for Fluminense in the Sao Paulo Cup, a competition for Brazilian under-20 teams, earlier this year impressed scouts before they were beaten on penalties by Clube de Regatas.
Pitaluga is a player who has previously been coached by current Reds No. 1 Alisson Becker, and the pair met in February of this year.
The opportunity to learn from Brazil’s first choice and a goalkeeper many see as the best in the world in Liverpool will certainly have attracted Pitaluga.
Liverpool also received updates from Alisson’s brother, Muriel, who is also at Fluminense, and the response was positive.
However, ECHO understands that the 33-year-old’s recommendations were not the driving force behind the deal.
Liverpool made the decision to release Daniel Atherton, Shamal George and Kai McKenzie-Lyle in July, but the arrival of Pitaluga adds to what is already a packed department for the Reds at all levels.
The Brazilian’s imminent signing means he becomes the second goalkeeper to move to the Academy in this window after the move by 16-year-old Fabian Mrozek.
Thiago is a red!
A deal of more than 20 million pounds has brought the midfielder to Anfield, and he is ready to play for Jurgen Klopp.
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Mrozek, who signed a FC Wroclaw youth scholarship contract in July, joined players like Vitezlsav Jaros, Jakub Ojrzynski, Ben Winterbottom, Oscar Kelly and Harvey Davies in the club’s books.
At the top level, Loris Karius continues to train alongside Adrian and Alisson, while Kamil Grabara and Caoimhin Kelleher are still waiting for their next step.
Grabara is expected to be loaned out, with Greek PAOK being said to be the favorite at this stage, while Liverpool will continue to seek a short-term suitor for Kelleher.
The Ireland Under-21 goalkeeper was scheduled to go on loan last summer before Alisson’s calf injury opened a door to the first team and Preston North End contacted the Reds in January about a deal.
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