Liverpool might have pulled off another FSG transfer masterstroke as terms of deal clear

It may have taken some time but Liverpool have their first signing of the summer. The Reds completed a swoop for Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia on Tuesday.

While the deal for the 23-year-old remains subject to the relevant international clearance, which won’t be a problem, it is a deal that the Reds have done with 2025/26 in mind rather than the current campaign on which they have now embarked under Arne Slot.

Mamardashvili, having joined Valencia from Dinamo Tblisi back in 2021, has amassed some 95 La Liga games for one of Spanish football’s heavy hitters, building a strong reputation as one of Europe’s brightest up and coming goalkeepers.

It had been planned that Mamardashvili would spend this season on loan at Bournemouth, the former employers of Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, but it is the Mestalla where the Georgian will remain, continuing to develop his talents by playing week in, week out, in one of the strongest domestic leagues in world football.

It is long-term planning for the Reds. In Alisson they have arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and at 31 still young enough to have many more years of success ahead of him. But with Caoimhin Kelleher’s future looking increasingly uncertain, with the Irishman keen for regular first-team football, Liverpool have looked to tie up another talent who could take over the gloves from Alisson, whenever that moment may need to arise.

The deal for Mamardashvili is a reported £25m plus £4m in potential add-ons. That may seem a large sum of money to pay for a player that is going straight out on loan and might have to wait some time to have the opportunity to dislodge Alisson as Liverpool’s number one. But it is long-term succession planning for a player the club believes can be impactful, and doing it below market value ahead of time.

Transfer market values can be a hard thing to put a firm figure on. Ultimately, a player will be worth what someone is willing to pay, although underlying data means that a base level can be assumed.

According to the CIES Football Observatory in Switzerland, Mamardashvili has a market value at present as high as £32m, with Transfermarkt’s valuation of him in the current market as high as £38m. He had a deal in place until 2027 before Liverpool swooped, and another season of regular football and adding to his reputation, as well as the risk of Valencia offering extended terms in order to bump up the asking price next summer, meant that an early move was seen as the best course of action for the Reds.

Also, in a move that has been a tactic in seasons past for Liverpool, they were negotiating with a club struggling on and off the pitch, where some financial aid in the here and now was most welcome. They also got to keep a star for one more season.

Another renewal and a good season at Valencia would have resulted in more competition in the market and a price being driven higher, instead the Reds have been able to land who they feel could be the long-term solution to the goalkeeping department at Anfield, with Alisson having two more years on his deal with the option of a third, and having received overtures from Saudi Arabia over the last 12 months.

Having a high-quality goalkeeping department with depth is also important, especially with the risk of losing Kelleher next season and a potential play from the Middle East to coax Alisson into the Saudi Pro League.

What this does is provide some real security at a price below market value for a player who has amassed considerable experience at a good level, including at the European Championships with an impressive Georgian side, at just 23 years of age.

A back-up goalkeeper who won’t arrive until 2025 might not seem something to get overly excited about, but it is a deal that could solve some real problems for Liverpool if they were to present themselves, and at a price below what they would have to spend next summer to solve them.