Genk Signs Kevin Amaro: A New South American Talent

Genk have gone back to a familiar well – and doubled down on it.

The Belgian Pro League side have confirmed the signing of 22-year-old right-back Kevin Amaro from Liverpool Montevideo, handing the Uruguayan international a five-year contract as they bet again on South American full-back talent.

Genk’s Latin American blueprint

This is not a blind gamble. Genk have built a reputation for spotting and polishing full-backs from Latin America, and the reference point is clear: Daniel Muñoz. The Colombian arrived in Limburg, grew into one of the league’s standout defenders, and now owns European silverware with Crystal Palace. Inside the club, the hope is simple – Amaro can trace a similar path.

Amaro arrives from Uruguay’s capital, where Liverpool Montevideo have quietly become a launchpad for exports. He is not just a traditional right-back either. The new signing can operate anywhere down the right flank, offering Genk tactical flexibility and depth in one stroke.

From Montevideo to Europe

Amaro made his senior debut for Liverpool in the 2022 season, but his real ascent started two years later. In 2024 he broke properly into the first team, racking up 42 appearances and scoring once. The following year he backed that up with 34 games and another goal, underlining that 2024 was no one-off surge.

This season he had already featured 17 times for Liverpool before Genk moved to close the deal. That volume of football at his age, in a physically demanding league, is part of what attracted the Belgians.

His progress has not gone unnoticed at national-team level either. Amaro has already been capped by Uruguay, adding an international dimension to a profile that fits neatly into Genk’s model of buying young, developing, and selling at a premium.

A timely addition

Genk have started their league campaign with one win and one defeat, a mixed opening that underlines the need for sharper edges on both sides of the ball. Amaro’s arrival gives them another weapon down the right, a corridor that has often been crucial in their recent success.

Now the question is not whether Genk can develop another South American full-back. It’s how quickly Kevin Amaro can turn potential into dominance on Belgian soil.