Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Liverpool are weighing up a move for one of the stars of Euro 2024, with a real ‘opportunity’ to get a deal done.
The Reds have recently been linked with Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, with a reported plan to purchase the 23-year-old and then loan him straight back to the Mestalla.
Speaking on his eponymous YouTube channel, the Italian transfer reporter corroborated those rumours and indicated that the Georgia international ‘would be keen’ on signing for LFC and being loaned back to his current club.
Follow Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE
Romano said: “I saw many questions on Giorgi Mamardashvili and Liverpool because Mamardashvili is one of the names always linked to Liverpool. I think this is one of the best goalkeepers around. I can confirm the story, Liverpool have the possibility to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili and send him on loan.
“Liverpool have the opportunity to go for Mamardashvili, sign him now and then loan him out. There is Bournemouth as a possibility, not only Bournemouth, but several clubs.
“Liverpool are aware of the opportunity, Liverpool have spoken to people in charge of the deal. Liverpool are aware of every detail of this story for Mamardashvili.
“Now it’s on Liverpoool; they need to decide whether they want to pay something like €30m (£25.7m), sign Mamardashvili and loan him out and consider him the future goalkeeper after Alisson, or if they want to leave this opportunity and continue with the goalkeepers they have.
“What I can say, and this is an important detail, is that Mamardashvili would be keen on this possibility. He is open to saying ‘I am going to Liverpool. I am not going immediately, because the goalkeeper is Alisson, but maybe in the future I will be the Liverpool goalkeeper’. Mamardashvili is open to that.”
READ MORE: Arne Slot claims ‘many areas’ need to improve in his squad before new season begins
If Liverpool can strike a deal for Mamardashvili for the price quoted by Romano, that’d represent fantastic business, to put it mildly.
According to Transfermarkt, the 23-year-old has the joint-highest market value of any goalkeeper in world football at the moment (along with Porto’s Diogo Costa) at €45m (£38.5m), 50% more than the amount that the Italian mentioned.
Having starred in Georgia’s impressive run to the knockout stages at Euro 2024, memorably making 11 saves in a 1-1 draw against Czechia, the 1.97m colossus has already proven his ability to excel on the big stage, and to get him for just over £25m would be a snip in today’s market.
As long-term successors to Alisson Becker go, Mamardashvili certainly appears to represent one of the safest options around, and at his age he could nail down that position for several years, just as the Brazilian has done.
The only catch is that a move for the Valencia stopper would very likely drive Caoimhin Kelleher out of Anfield. The 25-year-old has already had to be incredibly patient for opportunities at Liverpool due to the brilliance of our current number 1, and he’s emphasised that he mightn’t be willing to play second fiddle for much longer.
The Reds wouldn’t bring in the Georgian to sit on the bench, especially not if the plan is to loan him out until Alisson departs, so such a strategy would send a message that the Irishman isn’t regarded as the heir to the throne, despite often coming up trumps when called upon by Jurgen Klopp in the past.
It’d be a shame to lose him, although Mamardashvili would be quite the addition to our squad, and it now seems that there is indeed a viable opportunity to swoop for the towering 23-year-old.
EOTK Close-up with John Welsh: ‘a local lad who lived his dream’ and Slot’s LFC predictions
The post Romano: Liverpool weighing up move for £26m colossus who’s the most valuable player in his position appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.
