Liverpool have confirmed their first permanent transfer of the January 2025 transfer window, however it is a departure rather than a new signing.
Over the weekend, multiple Brazilian sites reported that Fluminense was in talks with the Reds about signing Marcelo Pitaluga, with the goalkeeper reportedly expressing a desire to return to his home country.
That projected trade has quickly come to fruition, with the Merseyside club announcing the agreement today.
Liverpool confirms Pitaluga’s exit.
According to the official Liverpool FC website, the 22-year-old has agreed to a permanent move to Fluminense, where he started his career before joining the Reds in 2020, subject to international clearance.
Pitaluga was recalled from his loan term at Livingston in order for the transfer back to Brazil to go through, and he leaves Anfield having never appeared in a competitive first-team game for the club, despite being named to the senior matchday squad seven times.
Aside from the Scottish Championship club, the goalkeeper has also spent time on loan at Macclesfield Town and St Patrick’s Athletic.
Pitaluga’s breakthrough at Liverpool never appeared possible.
With Liverpool already having two top-tier options in that area of the pitch, as well as a dependable third-choice in Vitezslav Jaros and additional competition on the way this summer in Giorgi Mamardashvili, it was difficult to see a path to regular first-team action at Anfield for Pitaluga.
The Brazilian made just two games on loan at Livingston, both in the Scottish Challenge Cup (Transfermarkt), thus his possibilities of making the grade on Merseyside were exceedingly poor.
Although we never got to see him in competitive action for the Reds, he did have the occasional pre-season outing, and he was endorsed by compatriot Alisson Becker as a ‘dedicated’ and ‘really talented’ goalkeeper (liverpoolfc.com) – fine praise to receive from one of the world’s best in that position.
It’s unfortunate that Pitaluga never got a chance at Liverpool, but that’s due to the sheer strength of our squad rather than any big flaws on his part, and we wish him the best of luck as he returns home to Fluminense, a Brazilian powerhouse that won the Copa Libertadores in 2023.
