Liverpool seal Brughmans deal and send teenage goalkeeper back to Genk on loan

The move was confirmed on Tuesday and looks very much like a long-term play rather than a signing aimed at the present.

Financial details were not officially disclosed. But reports in England suggest the package, including add-ons, could rise to as much as £30 million, which is a huge number for a goalkeeper of his age and a clear sign of how highly Liverpool rate him.

That kind of fee does not happen by accident.

Brughmans has come through Genk's academy and already looks well ahead of the normal curve for an 18-year-old keeper. After making 32 appearances for the club's reserve side, he made his first-team debut in April and quickly established himself as Genk's No. 1, going on to add 10 league appearances last season.

He has also started all 4 of Genk's matches at the beginning of this new campaign. So while the age stands out, this is not a player being signed only on vague potential. Liverpool are buying someone who has already handled senior football and seems to have earned trust very quickly.

Brughmans captained Belgium at both the 2025 U17 European Championship and the U17 World Cup, and he is now captain of the country's U19 side as well.

Goalkeepers do not usually wear captain's armbands at youth level by accident, and when they do, it tends to point to maturity, personality and presence as much as pure shot-stopping.

The decision to loan him straight back makes plenty of sense too.

Liverpool get control of one of Europe's more promising young keepers without forcing him into a crowded environment too early, while Brughmans gets another season of regular football in a place where he already knows the demands and has momentum.

Too many young goalkeepers lose a year or 2 just sitting around after a big move. Liverpool seem keen to avoid that here.

Instead, they are backing him, protecting his development and giving themselves time to decide what the next step should look like.