Liverpool sign teenage Brazilian goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga from Fluminense
Marcelo Pitaluga's quick rise through the Fluminense ranks has led to a move to Liverpool.
Liverpool have confirmed the signing of teenage Brazilian goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga from Fluminense.
Pitaluga, youth international with Brazil
The Reds confirmed the 17-year-old will be based with the first-team squad at the club's Melwood training ground, while also appearing for Liverpool's academy sides. Pitaluga was a member of the Brazil squad that won the Under-17 World Cup on home turf last November and was twice named on the bench in Serie A last season for Fluminense, where the brother of Liverpool keeper Alisson plays.
"I saw him for the first time in the World Cup squad. You're checking all the goalies and looking at the ages," Liverpool's head of goalkeeping John Achterberg told the club's official website. "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 already 16 playing in the reserve team there so you also think, they trust him to play already in the reserves at 16."