Liverpool sign Genk goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans in deal worth up to £30m

Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign 18-year-old goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Belgian club KRC Genk, with the transfer announced on Tuesday just hours before the summer transfer window closes.

The agreement is reportedly worth up to £30m, including add-ons, according to the BBC. Brughmans has signed a long-term contract with Liverpool but will remain at Genk on loan for the whole of the 2026-27 season.

Liverpool confirmed the move in a statement posted on social media, saying:

“We have agreed a deal to sign goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from KRC Genk 🔴The 18-year-old has put pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Reds and will now return to Genk for the duration of the 2026-27 season 🧤pic.twitter.com/9p5z60gE6w”

Brughmans completed the formalities at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre before returning to Belgium, where he will continue his development with Genk in the Belgian top flight.

The goalkeeper made his senior breakthrough after playing 32 matches for Genk’s second team. He was promoted to the first team and made his senior debut in April 2026.

Brughmans retained his place for the remainder of that season, making a further 10 appearances in the Belgian league. He has also started the new campaign as Genk’s first-choice goalkeeper, featuring in all four of the club’s matches so far.

His progress has also been recognised at international level. Brughmans captained Belgium at both the 2025 European Under-17 Championship and the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. He is now captain of the Belgium Under-19 team.

Although the transfer has been agreed and his long-term contract with Liverpool has been signed, Brughmans will not move to Anfield immediately. The loan arrangement means he will stay with Genk throughout the 2026-27 campaign before joining Liverpool ahead of the 2027-28 season.

The move gives Liverpool a long-term addition to their goalkeeping group while allowing Brughmans to continue playing regular senior football in Belgium. For Genk, the agreement keeps one of their emerging players at the club for another season after his rapid rise into the first team.

Liverpool’s announcement came shortly before the end of the summer window and represents a significant investment in a goalkeeper who has already become an important figure for both club and country at a young age.