Liverpool have confirmed the club’s first permanent transfer of the January 2025 transfer window, although it’s regarding a departure from Anfield rather than a new signing.
Multiple outlets in Brazil reported over the weekend that Fluminense had been in talks with the Reds about the acquisition of Marcelo Pitaluga, with the goalkeeper believed to have expressed a desire to return to his native country.
It hasn’t taken long for that proposed transfer to reach fruition, with the Merseyside club officially announcing the deal today.
As confirmed on the official Liverpool FC website, the 22-year-old has agreed a permanent move to Fluminense – the club where he began his career and from whom he joined the Reds in 2020 – subject to international clearance.
Pitaluga was recalled from his loan spell at Livingston in order for the transfer back to Brazil to materialise, and he departs Anfield having never managed to play in a competitive first-team fixture for the club, although he was named in the senior matchday squad seven times.
Aside from the Scottish Championship outfit, the goalkeeper also spent time on loan 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 just two appearances on loan at Livingston, both in the Scottish Challenge Cup (Transfermarkt), so his prospects of making the grade on Merseyside seemed extremely slim.
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 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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