Top 10 most expensive teenage goalkeepers in football history ft. Brughmans & Courtois

Lucca Brughmans’ transfer to Liverpool tops the list!

Among all the departments on a field, goalkeepers take longer to establish themselves at the highest levels. In the world of football, it is not very common for big clubs to put in major investments in teenage goalkeepers.

Still, there are multiple clubs which believe in spending a decent amount of money on a young goalkeeper who can eventually become a long-term star. Liverpool are reportedly all set to invest €35 million to sign Lucca Brughmans from the Belgian Pro League side, Racing Genk. This will put the 18-year-old at the top of the most expensive teenage goalkeepers in the history of football.

The previous record was held by Mike Penders, to whom Chelsea paid €20 million to sign from Genk in 2025. These signings of young show-stoppers suggest that in the coming years, the top-tier clubs will be ready to spend even more. Several other stars who highlight the list are Sébastien Frey, Gabriel Slonina, Thibaut Courtois and more.

Also Read: Who is Lucca Brughmans? Liverpool’s new teenage goalkeeper signed from Genk

Most expensive teenage goalkeepers in football history

10. Gabriel Brazão

The Serie A giants invested heavily in Gabriel Brazão during the 2019-20 season. The Brazilian goalkeeper spent his time developing in Brazil, and he later moved to the Italian top flight after Parma signed him in 2019. In the same year, Internazionale paid €6.3m for Brazao, but most of his time was spent on loan spells and away from the parent club. He currently plays alongside Neymar at Santos FC.

9. Alessandro Russo

After putting up some eye-catching performances for Genoa’s youth side, the Serie A side Sassuolo stepped up to sign Alessandro Russo in what was a €7 million move in 2019. The Italian goalkeeper has only made two appearances for the parent club since then. He has spent most of his time on loan for different clubs.

8. Bernd Leno

The German shot-stopper spent most of his youth at VfB Stuttgart before joining Bayer Leverkusen. He first became a part of the club on a loan deal and he completed a full transfer to the Werkself during the 2011-12 season. Leverkusen invested €7.8m for Bernd Leno, who made 217 appearances for the club.

7. Alban Lafont

During his early footballing days, Alban Lafont joined the youth side of AS Lattoise. He later moved to Toulouse in 2014 and made his senior debut for them in 2015. The Serie A side Fiorentina stepped in to sign the Ivory Coast goalkeeper during the 2018-19 season for €8m. Lafont made only 34 appearances before eventually moving to Nantes.

6. Andriy Lunin

The European giants, Real Madrid, were sure to invest a good amount of money in the 19-year-old Ukrainian goalkeeper back in 2019. They paid €8.5m to FC Zorya Luhansk to sign Andriy Lunin. He was loaned to multiple clubs, but came up with heroic performances for Los Blancos during the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League campaign.

5. Thibaut Courtois

Thibaut Courtois is currently considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He started his footballing journey under the youth system of Bilzen V.V., with later moving to Racing Genk. He spent a significant time at the Belgian Pro League side before Chelsea came knocking for him during the 2011-12 season. The English Premier League side then spent €8.95m on the 19-year-old Belgian shot-stopper.

4. Gabriel Slonina

Chelsea once again went on to spend a decent amount of money on the signing of a young goalkeeper. They paid €9.09m for a 18-year-old player during the 2022-23 season and brought him from the MLS club Chicago Fire. He is back with the Blues after spending loan terms with multiple clubs.

3. Sébastien Frey

During the 1998-99 campaign, the Italian giants Inter Milan went on to spend €14m for an 18-year-old goalkeeper. Sébastien Frey was with the club for three years and made 35 appearances for them. He was also loaned to Hellas Verona before a permanent transfer to the fellow Italian club Parma. Frey’s transfer marked the first time a club had spent more than €10 million on a young goalkeeper.

2. Mike Penders

After a long wait of more than 25 years, Mike Penders’ transfer from Racing Genk to Chelsea broke the record for the most expensive teenage goalkeepers. The Premier League side sealed the deal for €20m and signed the 19-year-old shot-stopper during the 2024-25 season. He recently returned to the Blues after spending a loan spell at Strasbourg.

1. Lucca Brughmans

With the recent reports, Lucca Brughmans’ transfer to Liverpool will make him the costliest teenage goalkeeper signing in football history. Reportedly, the Premier League club has agreed the verbal terms and can pay €35 million to sign the 18-year-old Belgian goalkeeper from Racing Genk. He is expected to serve a loan spell with the Belgian Pro League club for further development and join the Reds in the summer of 2027.

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