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Liverpool have made their first signing of the Arne Slot era by bringing in Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.
They have paid Valencia an initial £25m for the 23-year-old, with the possibility of a further £4m in add-ons, and he has signed a long-term contract at Anfield.
As expected, Mamardashvili will spend the season on loan with Valencia before linking up with Liverpool next summer.
Alisson remains Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper and was supportive of the move for Mamardashvili when he was informed about it.
But Liverpool’s three main goalkeepers all have two years left on their current contracts – though the club have an option to extend Alisson’s deal until 2027 – and buying Mamardashvili, who is eight years younger than the Brazilian, represents a case of future-proofing as they look to the long term.
They were conscious Mamardashvili’s value could rise and that he might be unavailable in 2025 or 2026, especially after his fine performances in Euro 2024 – including 11 saves against Czechia – brought him to wider attention.
Liverpool also looked at wider scouting reports and data analysis before making their move for Mamardashvili who, according to post-shot expected goals statistics, prevented the most saves in LaLiga last season.
The Merseyside club are also considering a bid for Juventus winger Federico Chiesa as they look for players to strengthen Slot’s squad now.