Who is Lucca Brughmans? Liverpool’s New Belgian Goalkeeper

Liverpool have completed the signing of 18-year-old Belgian goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Genk, adding one of the country's most promising young goalkeepers to their long-term plans.

Brughmans has signed a long-term contract with Liverpool but will immediately return to Genk, where he will remain for the entirety of the 2026-27 season before joining the Reds next summer. Liverpool have therefore secured his future without rushing him into first-team football at Anfield.

The financial details have not been officially disclosed, although the deal has been widely reported to be worth up to £30 million including add-ons. If that figure is reached, it would represent a significant investment in a goalkeeper who has only recently established himself in senior football.

So, who exactly is Lucca Brughmans?

From Belgium to PSV

Brughmans' development has already taken him through several different footballing environments.

Born in Belgium, he began his youth career at Kalmthout SK before spending a brief period at FC Beigem. He returned to Kalmthout before joining Royal Antwerp in 2018, giving him his first experience of a major Belgian academy.

A year later came another significant move.

Brughmans joined PSV Eindhoven in 2019 and spent three years in the Dutch club's academy before returning to Belgium with Genk in 2022.

The route is an interesting one for a young goalkeeper. Belgian football provided his early foundations, while his time in the Netherlands exposed him to a football culture that places considerable emphasis on technical ability and goalkeepers' involvement in possession.

Genk then became the environment in which he began making the transition from promising academy goalkeeper to senior player.

The Genk Breakthrough

Brughmans spent time with Genk's reserve side before making his senior debut in April 2026.

The breakthrough came quickly. After making 32 appearances for Genk's reserve team, he stepped up to the senior side and retained his place for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign, making 10 further league appearances.

His progress has continued into the new season.

Brughmans started all four of Genk's matches at the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign before completing his move to Liverpool. He will now spend the rest of the season continuing that development in Belgium rather than immediately joining the Reds.

That decision could prove important.

Liverpool have effectively bought themselves time. Brughmans can spend another season playing senior football at Genk, gaining experience in a familiar environment, while the club can monitor his development before bringing him into the squad.

A Genk Goalkeeping Tradition

There is also a clear reason why Brughmans' development at Genk has attracted attention.

The Belgian club has developed a strong reputation for producing goalkeepers, with Thibaut Courtois among the most famous graduates of its academy. More recently, Mike Penders also emerged through Genk's system before joining Chelsea.

That inevitably brings comparisons with Courtois, particularly given Brughmans' imposing physical profile.

The 18-year-old stands around two metres tall and has already demonstrated that his size can be an important part of his game. But the comparisons should be treated cautiously. Brughmans has made only a relatively small number of senior appearances, and his development is still at an early stage.

What is clear is that Genk have trusted him with first-team responsibility at a remarkably young age.

More Than Just a Tall Goalkeeper

Brughmans' appeal is not simply his height.

Modern goalkeepers are increasingly expected to contribute to build-up play, and Brughmans has developed in environments where technical ability and distribution are important parts of the position.

His three years at PSV would have exposed him to that style of goalkeeper development, while Genk's own approach has produced several goalkeepers capable of playing at the highest level.

At this stage, however, it is too early to make definitive claims about where Brughmans' ceiling lies.

He has promising physical and technical attributes, but the jump from youth and early senior football to becoming a goalkeeper capable of starting for Liverpool is enormous. His time at Genk this season will provide a much better indication of how quickly he can make that transition.

Belgium's Next Goalkeeping Prospect

Brughmans has also progressed rapidly through the Belgian international setup.

He captained Belgium at both the Under-17 European Championship and Under-17 World Cup in 2025 and is now captain of the country's Under-19 side.

That leadership role is another indication of how highly he is regarded within Belgian football.

Liverpool are therefore not signing a goalkeeper based solely on a handful of senior appearances. They are investing in a player who has been trusted at international youth level, has already broken into Genk's first team and still has considerable room for development.

Why Liverpool Are Buying Him Now?

The most interesting part of the transfer may be its timing.

Liverpool do not need Brughmans to solve an immediate goalkeeping problem. Instead, they have chosen to secure his future while allowing him another full season of senior football in Belgium.

That makes the move a genuine long-term investment.

By the time Brughmans arrives at Liverpool next summer, he should have another year of first-team experience behind him. The club will then have a much clearer idea of how he has developed and whether he is ready to take the next step.

For Brughmans, meanwhile, there is little reason to rush.

He can remain Genk's goalkeeper, continue playing regular senior football and develop without immediately carrying the expectations that come with a major transfer to the Premier League.

Liverpool have effectively bought the potential first and will worry about the finished product later.

For an 18-year-old goalkeeper, that may be the most sensible path available.

Brughmans has already taken a remarkable journey from Kalmthout to Antwerp, PSV and Genk. Now Liverpool have become the next destination.

But unlike most transfers, his story at Anfield will not really begin until next summer.

The season ahead at Genk could determine just how ready Lucca Brughmans is when it does.