Giorgi Mamardashvili sets out his stall with one emphatic promise ahead of Liverpool move | OneFootball

Giorgi Mamardashvili has declared his intentions to Liverpool ahead of his move to Anfield next summer.

The Reds completed a deal to sign the goalkeeper from Valencia in late August, although he’s remained at the Mestalla for this season before he relocates to England in 2025.

The 24-year-old will have a certain Alisson Becker blocking his path to a starting berth at LFC, but he’s defiantly insisted that it’s a challenge he’s relishing.

Mamardashvili vows to ‘fight’ for Liverpool berth

Speaking to Spanish outlet El Desmarque, Mamardashvili made it clear that he’s not coming to Liverpool just to settle for a role as the Brazilian’s deputy – he wants to vie for a starting spot straight away.

The Georgia international declared: “I was attracted by the Liverpool project when the club’s representatives met with me to sign me. I will fight for the starting position, even if the current goalkeeper does not leave.”

(Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

Could Mamardashvili realistically dislodge Alisson next season?

At present, Mamardashvili will actually be competing with two top-quality goalkeepers at Liverpool in Alisson and Caoimhin Kelleher, although the latter is reportedly available for transfer amid his much-publicised desire to become a first-choice option elsewhere.

The Georgian’s case could be helped by our current number 1’s unfortunate injury record, which has come to the fore yet again in the shape of a hamstring problem which has ruled him out until after the November international break.

It’s also been claimed that the Reds are preparing to be met with offers for Alisson next year and may be open to selling the 32-year-old if they receive ‘big bids’, although it still seems improbable that they’d cash in on a player who’s still performing to a very high level at Anfield.

Looking at the players’ respective statistics from last season (the 2024/25 campaign is still too embryonic to allow for a proper sample size), we can see why Mamardashvili has defiantly promised to compete with the Brazil international for a starting berth at Liverpool.

As per FBref, the Valencia stopper had a slightly better save percentage than the 32-year-old (73.8% v 73.4%) and fared much better in terms of post-shot xG in comparison to goals conceded (+10.2 for the Georgian, -0.3 for the current LFC ‘keeper).

However, the 24-year-old would need to improve his distribution if he’s to confidently play out from the back in the manner that Arne Slot would want to see. His passing success rate last term was a mere 53%, compared to 86.3% for Alisson (FBref).

Our present first-choice won’t be easy to dislodge – just ask Kelleher- but if Mamardashvili can succeed in that regard, he must have something special about him!