A former England international has hailed one prominent Liverpool transfer target as an ‘outstanding talent’ who’s set to get ‘better and better’.
Reports from Spanish sources suggest that the Reds are getting closer to completing a deal for Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who’d join Bournemouth on loan for this season before moving to Anfield next year.
Paul Robinson, who won 41 caps for the Three Lions, was raving about the Georgian stopper during his most recent appearance on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily Podcast.
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The ex-Leeds and Tottenham ‘keeper said: “Mamardashvili, he’s an outstanding talent. At 23 years old, he was the best goalkeeper in La Liga last year at Valencia.
“He’s just getting better and better. We saw his ability at the Euros. He’s agile, great ability to get down low, he uses his feet really well – he’s the modern-day goalkeeper.”
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Mamardashvili was arguably the best goalkeeper at Euro 2024, with his 11-save heroics in a 1-1 draw against Czechia among the standout individual performances of the entire tournament.
That masterclass in Hamburg wasn’t in isolation, either, as he’d already enjoyed a fine season at Valencia. He kept 13 clean sheets in 37 LaLiga outings last term (35.1%), a higher ratio than the eight that Alisson Becker managed in 28 Premier League games (28.6%).
The two stoppers also had broadly similar returns in terms of top-flight goals conceded, with the Georgian letting in 41 (1.11 per game) and Liverpool’s number one shipping 30 (1.07 per match).
Just like Caoimhin Kelleher, Mamardashvili also excels in penalty situations, with a 50% save ratio from spot kicks in 2023/24 placing him along the top 7% of goalkeepers in Europe’s five main leagues (FBref).
The 23-year-old has already proven to be a more than capable operator at a high level, and a few months in the Premier League at Bournemouth should stand to him even further by the time he goes to Anfield – that is, of course, if this tantalising deal does get over the line.
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