Liverpool are set to land goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia in a deal worth around £34 million, in what will be their first signing of the summer.
Mamardashvili has been widely reported as a target for Liverpool over the past fortnight, with sources on Merseyside acknowledging claims from Spain.
Liverpool are said to have made a number of bids for the 23-year-old, with Valencia owner Peter Lim holding firm on his €40 million (£34.1m) price tag.
That appears to have now been met, with The Athletic‘s James Pearce reporting that the Reds are “closing in on a deal” to sign the Georgia international for that fee.
While it had been reported that Mamardashvili would then be loaned to Bournemouth, he is now expected to stay with Valencia for the 2024/25 campaign.
A decision will then be made next summer for whether he would head to Liverpool, remain with his current club for another season or head elsewhere on loan.
That call will rest largely on the future of Alisson, who is firmly installed as Arne Slot‘s No. 1 and is contracted to 2027.
With interest from Saudi Arabia, there is a sense that the Brazilian could eventually call time on his stay at Anfield – but that may not come any time soon.
With Mamardashvili already slated to remain on loan until 2026, that serves as excellent succession planning at a time when there are question marks over Liverpool’s approach with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
Despite their attempts to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, the Reds are yet to make a first-team signing this summer.
And though Mamardashvili would be a transfer for the future, it at least shows initiative from Liverpool’s new recruitment team.
Who is Giorgi Mamardashvili?
Age: 23
Position: Goalkeeper
Nationality: Georgia
Career: Dinamo Tbilisi (2012-2021), Rustavi (loan – 2019), Locomotive Tbilisi (loan – 2020-2021), Valencia (2021- )
Mamardashvili was one of the key figures in Georgia’s run to the last 16 of this summer’s Euros as the tournament’s surprise package.
In a Man of the Match performance against the Czech Republic he made the second-most saves of any goalkeeper in a Euros group stage match, with 11.
Per FotMob, he ended the tournament with the most saves per 90 minutes (7.5) and goals prevented (4.7).
Earlier this year, he broke an all-time Valencia record for the most consecutive LaLiga starts, with 69 in a row.
What is his style of play?
“Mama defends well, he is an agile and fast goalkeeper,” defender Victor Mongil, who trained with Mamardashvili at Dinamo Tbilisi, told Breaking The Lines last year.
“He’s a goalkeeper who handles well low shots, reaches balls that can be challenging for taller goalkeepers, like Courtois or Donnarumma, who struggle there.”
Giorgi Mamardashvili. ?#LALIGAHighlights | @valenciacf pic.twitter.com/yEanIzN8tZ
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) July 6, 2024
His reflexes are outstanding, while his quickness off his line and ability to spread himself to deny one-on-ones is reminiscent of Alisson himself.
Standing at 6’6″, he is unsurprisingly dominant in his area.
There is a sense that Mamardashvili is more of a shot-stopper than a sweeper-keeper like Alisson, but the belief is that he can also develop into a more rounded player in a side like Liverpool’s.
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