Liverpool have unveiled the club’s first permanent move for the January 2025 move window; It will be a move from Anfield rather than a new signing.
Several Brazilian outlets reported over the weekend that Fluminense were in talks with the Reds for the acquisition of Marcelo Pitaluga, with the goalkeeper expressing his preference to return to his homeland.
It didn’t take long for this proposed move to become a reality, with the Merseyside club officially announcing the deal today.
As shown on Liverpool FC’s official website, the 22-year-old has agreed to a permanent move to Fluminense, the club where he began his career and from where he joined the Reds in 2020, subject to foreign clearance.
Pitaluga was removed from his loan spell at Livingston to allow his return to Brazil to materialise, and leaves Anfield without ever having managed to play in a competitive first team for the club, despite having been called up on matchday seven of the senior team. team. times.
As well as the Scottish Championship side, the goalkeeper has had loan spells at Macclesfield Town and St Patrick’s Athletic.
With Liverpool already having two top-class options in that area of the pitch, along with a reliable third-choice in Vitezslav Jaros and further competition to arrive this summer in Giorgi Mamardashvili, it was difficult to realistically envisage a pathway to regular first-team action at Anfield for Pitaluga.
The Brazilian made two appearances on loan at Livingston, either in the Scottish Challenge Cup (Transfermarkt), so his chances of reaching Merseyside looked incredibly slim.
Although we never got the chance to see him compete for the Reds, he made occasional appearances in pre-season and was subsidized by compatriot Alisson Becker as a “dedicated” and “really talented” (liverpoolfc. com) goalkeeper, very good. The highest praise to receive from one of the most productive in the world in this position.
It’s a shame that Pitaluga never got his break at Liverpool, but that’s more to do with the sheer quality we have in that area rather than any major shortcomings on his part, and we wish him the very best as he returns home to Fluminense, a Brazilian powerhouse who won the Copa Libertadores in 2023.
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