Giorgi Mamardashvili will officially become a Liverpool player this summer, and the goalkeeper been given valuable time to prepare for his £29 million move.
Mamardashvili will complete his delayed switch to Merseyside when the transfer window opens, after a deal was agreed with Valencia back in August.
The 24-year-old, who made 34 appearances in his final season at Estadio de Mestalla, is then expected to take over from Caoimhin Kelleher as backup to and competition for Alisson.
Having yet to be in contact with his new teammates or even Arne Slot, there could be some apprehension from Mamardashvili as he prepares to relocate.
But he has been given extra time to prepare for his move to the UK having been left out of the Georgia squad for next month’s friendlies against the Faroe Islands and Cape Verde.
“I think a large number of our players needed a rest,” manager Willy Sagnol explained on Wednesday.
“They have had to play too many matches in the last two to three years. I think it was the right decision to give them free time. It is important that they are in good shape in September.”
Mamardashvili is currently enjoying time back in his native Georgia and can look to spend the coming weeks resting and recharging before work resumes.
He should be part of the first group of players to report for pre-season at the AXA Training Centre on July 8, with Slot able to call upon a strong squad from day one.
That will mean he will have had over six weeks off having played his final game for Valencia on May 23 – a 1-1 draw with Europa Conference League runners-up Real Betis.
With the ability to settle successfully off the field as important as finding his feet on it during those first months at Liverpool, Mamardashvili can certainly benefit from his break from international duty.
Liverpool will be on hand to liaise with their incoming stopper over accommodation, with it often the case that new arrivals first move into hotels, such as the Titanic on Stanley Dock, before finding permanent homes.
Mamardashvili can expect time to adjust to new demands on the pitch, too, as he will join as No. 2 behind Alisson.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are already fielding enquiries over Kelleher, who has reiterated his desire to become a first-choice goalkeeper, with Brentford most prominently linked and the club seeking upwards of £20 million.
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