Liverpool could be about to enter the transfer market for the first time this summer — and it's for a goalkeeper. A deal for Valencia and Georgia stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili is now being actively explored, with the Reds looking at three potential options .
Few would have had this on their transfer window bingo cards. Liverpool, of course, is in possession of one of the world's very best goalkeepers in Alisson Becker .
So far, at least, Caoimhin Kelleher hasn't gone anywhere either, leaving Arne Slot with the player hailed by Jurgen Klopp as the best number two in the world for the way that Liverpool plays. With Richard Hughes presiding over the last team in the Premier League yet to make a signing, an addition between the sticks seems highly unorthodox.
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But Hughes is being true to his word. He promised to be "opportunistic" this summer — there appeared to be just such an opportunity with Martin Zubimendi, but the player changed his mind .
It's why Liverpool is not automatically moving onto another target in the holding midfield role. It is assessing each move on its merits, in the belief that the underlying squad is already very good and there is no single position urgently in need of reinforcement.
So the pivot to a goalkeeper is reflective of nothing except the fact that a very good goalkeeper appears to have come onto the market. At 23, Mamardashvili is one of the most promising young players in Europe in his position.
However, Liverpool cannot simply ignore the fact that it already has Alisson and Kelleher in the ranks. Slot can only play one goalkeeper, after all. With that in mind, Liverpool is looking at three options when it comes to the Mamardashvili signing. All are somewhat creative.
According to The Times , one option would be to agree a deal ahead of time with Valencia, getting a move in place for 2025. Albeit for different reasons, this is how Liverpool once structured a move for Naby Keita .
Alternatively, Liverpool could sign Mamardashvili now, but look to find him a loan move. Valencia would presumably be one of the contenders to take him on a temporary deal, while Fabrizio Romano has said that Bournemouth would be interested in such a setup (no doubt with Hughes using his connections at his old club).
The third and final option would be to keep hold of Mamardashvili, initially as the number two behind Alisson, who turns 32 in October. But even this would require some outside-the-box work, because it would surely rest on finding a new club for Kelleher.
The one thing off the table is Mamardashvili usurping Alisson as number one this season. It's also worth noting that while Liverpool has "stepped up" its interest, nothing is agreed with Valencia yet.
Liverpool.com says: There's no escaping that this would be an unusual first move of the Slot era, but it could be a wise one in terms of long-term succession planning. Mamardashvili has the credentials to succeed Alisson sooner or later.
The big question mark it leaves is whether Liverpool is right to think that the current squad is already good enough to compete for the top honors. Unless that assessment is right, it seems negligent to be sorting out a future-focused deal for a goalkeeper when there are still areas where the starting XI could be immediately improved.
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