Liverpool closing in on second summer transfer on Alisson’s recommendation

Liverpool are closing in on their second transfer deal of the summer, with a £1million bid for teenage keeper Marcelo Pitaluga.

And the Brazilian U17 international comes highly recommended – with current Reds number one Alisson an admirer as the 17-year-old plays at the same club as his brother.

Alisson has even been pictured with Pitaluga and his brother, Muriel, who is the number one at the youngster’s club Fluminese.

It seems Liverpool were alerted to the teenage talent by the connection with their £62m keeper, and have been watching him since he appeared in the Copa Sao Paulo – Brazil’s widely scouted U20 championship – in January.

Crucially, the promising teenager holds a German passport, which means he will not be subject to rules which stop Brazilian players from moving abroad until they are at least 18.

And it would also mean he wouldn’t require a work permit.

Pitaluga has been training with Muriel Becker and the Fluminese first-team squad since 2019, and the club won the Taca Rio final this year – with Muriel saving a penalty in the final.

Alisson is well aware of the 17 year old, with both sharing German heritage. And Brazilian media have suggested the Reds keeper personally recommended the player to Liverpool.

The Champions have bid £1m for Pitaluga, who has played for his country at all youth levels, with a further £800,000 in future payments, and the deal should be completed in the coming days.

He will go into the youth structure at Anfield originally, but there are high hopes for the young keeper who has shown great quality with his distribution, modelling himself on Alisson.