Alisson is a Brazilian sex symbol who is married to a doctor... Liverpool have found the right medicine for keeper woes as £67m Roma star is world-class

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The cliche about Brazilian goalkeepers being a bit duff disintegrated years ago. True, the stoppers in the 1970 and 1982 World Cup teams rarely feature in debates about the best No 1s in history.

But over the last quarter of a century things began to change. Claudio Taffarel was an indispensable part of the 1994 World Cup-winning side and lifted the 2000 UEFA Cup with Galatasaray. Nelson and Julio Cesar won three Champions Leagues between them, with AC Milan and Inter respectively.

Of course, despite their sterling work, Dida and Cesar made the odd high-profile gaffe. Liverpool know all about goalkeeping errors so have taken decisive action by agreeing a £67million deal for the latest brilliant Brazilian between the posts.

Brazilian keeper Alisson is currently enjoying a holiday in Sardinia with his family

Alisson juggles a football with his young daughter, Helena, during a training session in Sochi

Alisson's wife Natalia Loewe cheers on her husband during Brazil's clash with Belgium

With a name like Alisson Ramses Becker, he was never destined to have an ordinary job in the post office or civil service. The Anfield club are on the verge of signing the man who gave Gianluigi Buffon a run for his money as Serie A's best keeper last season.

Alisson, 25, joined Roma from Internacional for around £6m in July 2016. He had already made his debut for Brazil's first team and won the U20 Toulon tournament in 2013. But the fine form of Wojciech Szczesny stunted his progress.

The Pole was Roma's starting keeper, and although Alisson played in cup competitions, he was frustrated at his lack of league minutes. He later confessed that he considered leaving the Giallorossi, but Szczesny's move to Juventus last summer was a turning point.

Alisson was one of Roma's standouts in 2017-18. It was a season of transition with key players leaving or retiring, particularly Francesco Totti and Mohamed Salah, plus a new coach in Eusebio Di Francesco.

But the capital outfit had a campaign to remember, reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 1984. Alisson was a crucial component. His courage and reflexes made him unbeatable at times.

He was particularly impressive against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, and was a wall dressed in black when Roma won 4-2 at Napoli in March. Despite his broad, 6ft 3in build, Alisson is extremely agile and springy. He regularly makes the first save from a powerful shot, and then bounces back into action to deny the follow up.

That comes partly from natural athleticism, but also tireless work on the training ground. The Selecao star also possess a surprising array of samba skills with his feet. He became a cult figure at the Stadio Olimpico for his ability to extricate himself from tight spots without using his hands.

We are not talking Lionel Messi-style dribbles or Zinedine Zidane pirouettes, but his ability and confidence to manoeuvre away from on-rushing forwards became a real crowd-pleaser. The adulation from the passionate Roma fans didn't go to his head though.

Alisson (second left) started in front of Manchester City star Ederson at the World Cup

Former Internacional keeper Alisson became No 1 for Brazil after impressing in Italy for Roma

Alisson is a very humble man. He is married to a doctor he met while playing for Internacional, and they have a young daughter – Helena. In February he told magazine SportWeek: 'My wife Natalia left Brazil five months after graduating to be with me. That meant a lot to me. I enjoyed supporting her while she was finishing her studies at university.

'I guess that made me a bit different to other footballers. And, if you don't feel well, it's better to be living with a doctor than a model.'

In the same interview he revealed how is status as a sex symbol in Brazil caused a few embarrassing situations, and for once it wasn't him providing the last-ditch saves. 

'We went to a restaurant when Internacional won the local championship and there were a lot of female fans trying to get near us. One or two tried to give me a pat on the backside, but my wife intervened to block them.'

His arrival at Anfield will see Liverpool's Loris Karius move down the pecking order

Karius will be demoted to the substitutes' bench when Alisson finalises his move to Anfield

Jurgen Klopp has identified a world-class keeper as the next part of his masterplan, and he won't find many better than Alisson, who keeps Manchester City's excellent Ederson on the bench on national duty. 

Italy-based Brazilian journalist and broadcaster Andersinho Marques says: 'Alisson is dynamic on the pitch, but relaxed off it. He enjoys playing the guitar and listens to sertaneja music (a folk style with rural origins). He drinks chimarrao tea - a favourite among the South American players. Last season was only his first as a starting keeper in Europe, so it's too early to put him alongside Taffarel, Dida and Cesar. But I think he can become a leader.'

Last time Liverpool plundered the Eternal City it was a resounding success. Salah dazzled domestically and spearheaded the Reds' run to the Champions League final.

Their latest Roman recruit has got what it takes to replicate the Egyptian's impact and become an idol. Opposing strikers and besotted female fans should prepare themselves to come away empty-handed from encounters with Alisson of Anfield.