Genk Signs Kevin Amaro: The Next Latin American Full-Back

Genk have dipped into South America again – and they’re betting big on the next one.

The Belgian club have confirmed the signing of Uruguay international Kevin Amaro, a 22-year-old right-back arriving from Liverpool Montevideo on a five-year deal. It’s a long commitment and a familiar strategy: find dynamic full-backs in Latin America, polish them in Limburg, then watch them explode on the European stage.

They’ve seen it work before. Daniel Muñoz came in from Colombia, grew into one of the Pro League’s standout defenders and is now lifting European trophies with Crystal Palace. Amaro walks into a dressing room where that pathway is not theory, it’s precedent.

This is not a raw teenager, either. Amaro made his senior debut for Liverpool back in the 2022 season, but his real rise came in 2024 when he finally forced his way into the first team on a regular basis. He racked up 42 appearances that year and scored once, then followed it with 34 games and another goal in 2025. Before leaving Montevideo this season, he had already featured 17 times.

Those numbers tell one story: trust. Coaches kept picking him. Game after game.

Amaro brings versatility as well as stamina. While listed as a right-back, he is comfortable anywhere down that flank, able to push higher when needed and offer width in advanced areas. That profile has already earned him a handful of caps for the Uruguayan national team, a significant badge of approval for a player still only 22.

Genk, who have started their Belgian Pro League campaign with one win and one defeat from their opening two matches, now add a fresh option on the right at a moment when the season’s rhythm is just beginning to form. It’s a move that fits their model, their market, and their ambition.

The question now is simple: can Kevin Amaro be the next Latin American full-back to turn Genk into a launchpad for another European success story?