Liverpool is ready for a busy summer after winning the Premier League, but one of their senior players could be about to get closer to a transfer away from Anfield
Georgi Mamardashvili is ready to compete for a starting point in Liverpool and does not want to publish on loan next season. The Georgia International will participate from Valencia under the conditions of a deal that was agreed last summer, whereby the Reds pay around £ 25 million plus add-ons.
His determination to fight Alisson Becker for number 1 status could spell bad news for Caoimhin Kelleher. Irish Stopper Kelleher has Deputten this season when Alisson missed competitions due to injuries, but was linked to a summer exit last year and such links could now come up again.
“I go to Liverpool and give everything, just like I did in Valencia,” Mhaldashvili told Geo Team. “I will work hard every day, training with Alisson will help me.”
Mamaardashvili has remained a fixture for Valencia this season and built his impressive form for his country at last summer's euro. Georgia was one of the surprise packages in Germany, took it out of their group and even took the lead against the final champions Spain in the round of 16 before he fell on a 4-1 defeat.
He played in all Los Che league games since Carlos Corberan took over in December. Valencia stood in the bottom three when they named the former West Bromwich Albion boss, but an undefeated run of the 10 game from the beginning of March leaves them in the table with one more match.
During a run in the first team this season, Kelleher wondered if his shape had priced him from a movement. However, he is no longer a contract in 2026, and it could be renewed this summer, such as West Ham and Newcastle Linked.
“I played and do so often last season if you do well, your appreciation will go up, because the club will clearly want a good win,” said the 26-year-old in October. “I was clear (in the summer) that I wanted to play the first team of football, whether it was here or elsewhere. I wanted to be a number 1.
“That was my thinking process – but it has always been my thinking process, because I am clearly a football player and like every player, I want to play. I am not going to enjoy or be happy on the couch.”
While Mhaldashvili Kelleher can still survive in Anfield, it is another case to surpass Alisson as the first choice. The Brazilian international has made nearly 300 performances since he came to Roma in 2018, and earned compliments from his teammates and manager Arne Slot.
“I don't think I worked with a keeper who played at this level-what is normal because he is the best in the world,” Slot TNT Sports told Alisson's race-winning performance to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. “I had some very good players as a manager, but never had the best keeper in the world, and he showed that today.
“I experienced once or twice where we should defend so much and usually you get away with a 1-0 loss, or two or three. But to come here with a victory today was probably a bit more than we deserved.”