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The Georgian stopper will spend the upcoming season in Spain, however.
After a three-week saga, the Reds finally get their man, and have tonight confirmed that Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will join the club from Valencia for a reported £30m fee.
The structure of the deal includes a £25m fee upfront, £4m in add-ons, a 10% sell-on clause, and a season-long loan back to the Spanish outfit, as they get a year to find their replacement goalkeeper.
Mamardashvili arrives highly touted, having impressed at this summer’s Euros, where he made more saves than any other keeper in the tournament — nearly twice as many as number two on the list — as well as last year’s La Liga campaign, where his 10.2 goal swing was the highest differential between expected goals conceded and actual goals conceded, and the main reason Valencia were able to procure a top-half finish.
An elite shot stopper and dominant cross claimer, the 23-year old has yet to display the sort of ability with his feet that would likely be required to feature in an Arne Slot team, making the deal an odd one, but 23 is also baby age in goalkeeper years, so further development is nigh-unavoidable.
The Reds are currently well-stocked at the position, with Caoimhin Kelleher remaining as the number two behind Brazilian ace Alisson Becker, who has recently reiterated his commitment to staying at the club despite concrete interest from Saudi Arabia.
