A teenager on Liverpool's radar

Liverpool are keeping a close eye on Lucca Brughmans, the 18-year-old Genk goalkeeper who has been quietly turning heads across European football. The Belgian youngster, who only celebrated his 18th birthday in June, has already built a reputation as one of the most exciting young shot-stoppers on the continent, and he has not gone unnoticed at Anfield. Liverpool's Global Talent department, led by Matt Newberry, has identified Brughmans as a player with genuine star potential.

It is early days, and Liverpool are not rushing into anything before Tuesday night's 11pm transfer deadline. That said, Brughmans is attracting serious attention from a host of clubs, Real Madrid among them, which tells you everything you need to know about the level of excitement surrounding the teenager. He has made four senior appearances for Genk and has represented Belgium at Under-19 level, so the experience is still limited, but the ceiling is clearly what is drawing so many clubs to the table.

Where Mamardashvili fits into all of this

The reason Liverpool's interest in Brughmans could accelerate sooner than expected comes down to Giorgi Mamardashvili. The Georgian keeper, who joined the Reds in a £29m deal originally agreed with Valencia in the summer of 2024, is reportedly attracting interest from Nottingham Forest. If that move were to materialise, it would leave Liverpool with a gap in their goalkeeping depth that would need addressing.

Mamardashvili made 20 appearances for Liverpool last season, stepping up when Alisson Becker was sidelined for a couple of months with a muscle injury. He has shown his quality, but with Forest now circling, the picture at the top of the club could shift. Currently, Freddie Woodman occupies the third-choice berth, and should Mamardashvili depart, the need for a longer-term solution behind Alisson would become considerably more pressing. That is where Brughmans fits into Liverpool's thinking.

The bigger picture at Liverpool's Global Talent department

Brughmans is far from the first youngster to land in Liverpool's crosshairs through their Global Talent operation. Earlier this year, defenders Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe arrived after being scouted at the Under-17s World Cup in Qatar last November. Both centre-backs went on to feature in Liverpool's pre-season tour under Andoni Iraola in the United States, which speaks to how seriously the club takes this pipeline.

Colombian playmaker Samuel Martinez is also set to join from Atletico Nacional next year, adding further evidence that Liverpool's recruitment at the younger end of the market is structured, patient, and genuinely global. Brughmans would fit neatly into that philosophy, a high-ceiling talent identified early, monitored carefully, and developed into a future asset. Whether the Mamardashvili situation forces Liverpool's hand before the window closes remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: this particular teenager is very much on the list, and the Reds will not be the only ones watching.