Report: Liverpool making steps towards signing 'top prospect' from Brazil U17s who's taller than Alisson
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Liverpool have often been caught snoozing when it comes to picking up top talent from Brazil and the rest of South America.
The Reds have had plenty of big players from the continent over the past two decades, but have usually waited for them to shine elsewhere before bringing them to Anfield.
While this strategy has led to the heralded signings of players such as Alisson Becker, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho, it has meant Liverpool miss out on some young stars as well.
The Reds almost signed Rodrygo when he was still at Santos, for example, but were pipped to the post by Real Madrid.
Other, similar stories have been told down the years as well, with plenty of improvement needed in Liverpool’s Brazilian recruitment drive.
Thankfully, there are signs that the club are learning in this regard, and according to some reports out of Brazil, Liverpool are targeting a player who could have designs on copying Alisson.
Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images
Had Liverpool signed Alisson straight from Internacional, there is no guarantee that he would have been the same goalkeeper he is today.
The Reds were no doubt aware of the 32-year-old before he joined Roma in 2016, but allowed him to prove himself at Roma first.
From there, he has arguably gone on to become the best goalkeeper in Liverpool history.
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Nevertheless, it could have cut out the middle man to sign Alisson straight from his first club in Brazil.
It would have saved the Reds an awful lot of cash as well.
According to ESPN Brazil, this is a strategy Liverpool could now employ in order to sign 16-year-old Gremio goalkeeper Gabriel Menegon.
Menegon is described as a ‘top prospect’ in the Gremio academy, and despite his young age the goalie is reportedly expected to earn a call-up to the senior team in the near future.
Measuring in at 1.96m, Menegon is said to stand out for his height, and the youngster is actually already taller than Alisson.
Nottingham Forest are also named as being keen on the teenager.
Although it is exciting to hear that Liverpool are looking at bringing in one of the best goalkeeping prospects in Brazil, it is hard to get overly enthused.
Liverpool have actually been here before.
Despite their unwillingness to pull the trigger on young talent from South America, they did gamble on Marcelo Pitaluga from Fluminense in 2020.
There were high hopes for Pitaluga but he failed to make the grade at Anfield before leaving permanently back to Flu last year.
Although Menegon should be judged on his own merits, and would obviously not be a candidate for the first team until some years down the line, it is also true that Liverpool already have some good goalkeeping prospects.
Armin Pecsi has been brought in this summer, and while Menegon is four years younger than Pecsi, there is no real need to have so many goalkeepers with such high potential battling each other.