Richard Hughes Liverpool 2024-25
© IMAGO - Richard Hughes Liverpool 2024-25
Liverpool have an impressive talent in their ranks and he is very highly admired.
The club's talent scouting has been incredibly impressive over the last few years and earlier this week it was confirmed that the academy would be receiving a new goalkeeper this summer.
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Armin Pecsi is his name - a 20-year-old Hungarian who made the move from Puskas Akademia.
He is regarded as one of the standout up and coming players and when Anfield Watch exclusively spoke to former-Liverpool goalkeeper and now Hungarian football pundit, Adam Bogdan about him, a surprising comparison was made.
Armin Pecsi Liverpool
© IMAGO - Armin Pecsi Liverpool
Pecsi is reminiscent of David De Gea
In his chat with Ben Bocsak on the Anfield Watch YouTube channel, Bogdan, someone who knows a thing or two about goalkeeping, said: "I was speaking to the national team youth coaches and goalkeeper coaches and everybody spoke really highly of him.
"He's a hugely talented guy when it comes to movement in the goal and I think he reminds me a little big of [David] De Gea in terms of his build and the way he can move and shift his feet, as well as a bit of his body shape as well.
"Of course he's only 20, but he's not an early developer so I think his body needs to get stronger, certainly for the Premier League but I do think there is a plan behind it [his move to Liverpool]."
While it has been nearly five years since David De Gea was in his prime at Manchester United, his peak level helped make him renowned as the best goalkeeper in the world for a period of time.
Regardless of the link to the Red Devils, that is an extraordinary comparison to make with Pecsi and it seems that Liverpool will have a serious talent on their hands moving forwards if he develops well.
It is recognised in the video that Liverpool already players who will play ahead of him, not least Alisson and Giorgi Mamardashvili, but what better environment to train and develop your craft in?
This is also not to say that Pecsi is a raw talent. In last season's UEFA Europa Conférence League, at the play-off stage, he played against De Gea's Fiorentina side and just missed out on progressing to the knock-out phase in a penalty shootout, because the Spaniard made a clutch penalty save.
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Given the experience he has already, the natural talent and build that is reminiscent of one of the former best goalkeepers in the world, and the environment he will now be playing in, Liverpool have a player who has all the ingredients to potentially eclipse De Gea's achievements across his career.
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