Liverpool have finally succeeded in signing Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia.
The goalkeeper joined the club for a fee worth £29m including add-ons, but will return to Valencia this season.
As we look to the future of the Liverpool goalkeeper, it will be interesting to watch his performances in La Liga this season.
To find out more about Mamardashvili and what he can offer Liverpool, This Is Anfield spoke to Ruairidh Barlow.@Ruribarrow), editor of Football Espana.
Firstly, what is the opinion within Spain about Giorgi Mamardashvili’s decision to join Liverpool?
Most people understand.
Mamardashvili surprised everyone when he arrived in Spain for €850,000 from Dinamo Tbilisi and was set to become Spain’s third-choice midfielder, with the possibility of even being called up to the B team.
In the first week they had an injury crisis and Jose Bordalas put his faith in him. He made a few great saves to earn the team a point and has been pretty much the first choice ever since.
Valencia are not currently seriously challenging for European football and most people expected a move as top young talents do not stay long these days.
He has been one of the best players in La Liga for the last three years. Mamardashvili has been a reliable player and it feels like he has been around for much longer. People think he is ready for a big move.
The transfer fee is close to £30 million. Do you think he’s worth it?
Best of all, it’s cheap.
Mamardashvili still has at least a decade left to play at the top level, and having only been competing at the highest level for three years, there is plenty of room for improvement.
If you look at last season’s team, you can see a lot of Mamardashvili.
For context, Thibaut Courtois was injured but Andriy Lunin played a key role in Real Madrid’s run to the Champions League final, while Spain’s number one goalkeeper Unai Simon was also there.
Certainly he was the best player for me in Spain last season and that’s probably why Valencia stayed on the edge of European competitions rather than languishing in the bottom five or six.
+11.3 – Giorgi Mamardashvili conceded 39 goals (excluding own goals) in La Liga last season despite having an expected goals rating of 50.3 on target. That 11.3 is the highest number of goals stopped by any goalkeeper in the 2023-24 competition. Barricade. pic.twitter.com/JoWy4yXt2J
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 26, 2024
His expected goals against goal differential was 8.2 last year, the highest in Spain and the third highest in Europe’s top five leagues. He has ranked high in saves and save percentage every season.
In a team competing for the title, Mamardashvili’s price would probably be close to double, but Valencia’s financial difficulties have seen him sold for less than his worth for years.
There will be a glut of goalkeepers on the market this summer, with most of Europe’s biggest teams already in possession of a goalkeeper. The fact that Liverpool already have their first choice goalkeeper is proof of this.
What type of goalkeeper is he? We are used to the sweeper keeper with Allison…
He is a cat, but a 6’6″ cat is a rare breed. Mamardashvili is majestic and huge, and has no right to be as agile and quick on his feet as he is.
Every season, we can create a highlight package where the forwards turn around and celebrate before Mamardashvili swings his arms and legs or shakes them up and down.
His reflexes are better than anyone around him, and his positioning is generally very powerful, allowing him to create magic.
Mamardashvili will have a good understanding of where his forwards should place the ball and will drive the ball to the appropriate position without excessive concentration.
If you give me a fedora and a parka, I can do an Inspector Gadget comparison.
His height means he can dominate the box from set pieces, an area he has improved on, but like most goalkeepers these days, he prefers to punch the ball rather than catch it.
Does he have any weaknesses that he needs to improve on?
There is still something primal about him.
As described, he has the makings of a typical goalkeeper, and while he is becoming more daring and learning, Mamardashvili prefers the comfort of his six-yard box to the cool, crisp air outside his own area.
Valencia’s approach and accuracy have seen him rank highly in progressive passing yards via long passes.
Mamardashvili gives off the classic vibe of a safe and sometimes invincible player without the ball, but he feels a bit insecure with it.
He has the ball and is improving, but he doesn’t naturally attempt a straight pass down the ground towards the centre circle and has no hesitation in lifting the ball high when under pressure.
He’s still tough to beat in one-on-one situations, but he’s probably half a second slower than the goalkeeper coach when it comes to getting off the line.
Mamardashvili probably viewed goalkeeping as a job to save the team rather than actively stopping opportunities before they arose.
Finally, could we see him develop into someone Liverpool considers worthy of replacing Allison as one of the best goalkeepers in the world?
Jan Oblak and Marc-Andre ter Stegen aren’t what they used to be, but it’s never easy to be on par with Spain’s best goalkeepers.
We should see him in the Champions League, but there are also arguments that he is already a second-tier goalkeeper, below the top level.
If you were to start a team in La Liga tomorrow, you would most likely pick Mamardashvili over any other goalkeeper except Courtois.
Stylistically, he may have some issues, but Mamardashvili has the makings of a top-flight goalkeeper and has already led his team to a high number of points every season.
If he maintains his current level, Liverpool fans won’t feel like he’s fallen too far from where he is now, and there’s plenty of time for him to get better.
Thanks again to Ruairidh Barlow for sharing his insights on the Reds’ new goalkeeper. You can follow Ruairidh on X. @Ruribarrow
