Headline: Liverpool Looks to Strengthen Goalkeeping Position After Disappointing Summer Transfers
Richard Hughes has been a fairly busy man again this summer.
Last term, Liverpool’s sporting director was at the centre of their biggest-ever summer of spending with the Anfield outfit welcoming over £450 million worth of players through the Anfield doors.
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These transfers were expected to make a massive improvement to the way that the Reds performed but, in reality, they actually did worse.
This made fans question whether the signings that Liverpool made were even worth it and led to them demanding that even more players be brought in this summer.
So far this summer, three new players have been brought in but, with how poor the Reds were last term, even more additions need to be made and now, their next signing seems fairly obvious.
Giorgi Mamardashvili’s performance vs Como proves that Liverpool need a new ‘keeper
One of the worst sales that Liverpool made last summer was selling Caoimhin Kelleher.
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The Irishman was the Reds’ back-up goalkeeper for quite some time, and there were even occasions when he performed better than Alisson.
For a while, the ‘keeper was satisfied being the Brazilian’s back-up but, when it became clear that he was good enough to be the starting goalie for most of the Premier League’s teams, he chose to leave Anfield.
Liverpool only received a small fee for his transfer as he was in the final year of his contract, and since they didn’t want to lose him for free, they let him go for a minimal amount.
This led to Giorgi Mamardashvili being brought in as the new back-up and, while he looked like a solid player at Valencia, his recent performances for Liverpool have indicated that another goalkeeper should be a priority for the club.
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Although it was already known that the Georgian was not yet up to Alisson‘s standards, Sunday’s game against Como highlighted this fact even more.
Not only is Mamardashvili’s skills with the ball at his feet are lacking, but his shot-stopping abilities also seem average.
During his time at Valencia, his shot-stopping skills appeared adequate for a Liverpool player, but the sheer volume of shots he faced in La Liga may not paint the complete picture.
While no one’s distribution will quite match Alisson’s, Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Cesc Fabregas’ team underscored why Mamardashvili may not be the ideal option for Liverpool’s future in goal.
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Liverpool need to figure out who Alisson’s successor is going to be
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Alisson is still arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Before the Brazilian extended his contract with Liverpool, Juventus had shown interest in him as their preferred target for the position.
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Indeed, his growing list of injuries has been a concern with each passing season, however, when fit, he remains unmatched.
While Kelleher had moments where he came close to performing on Alisson’s level and would have likely outplayed Mamardashvili, during his prime, Alisson was unparalleled.
This summer, however, there were talks involving James Trafford and other keepers.
Clearly, both of those players have now found new clubs, but the interest in goalkeepers highlights Liverpool’s intent to secure a new option for the position.
With Alisson’s contract set to expire at the end of this season, if Mamardashvili does not improve, Liverpool must determine who will succeed him in goal.
As a result, Hughes must act swiftly to secure a new goalkeeper.
Richard Hughes has been a fairly busy man again this summer.
Last term, Liverpool’s sporting director was at the centre of their biggest-ever summer of spending with the Anfield outfit welcoming over £450 million worth of players through the Anfield doors.
Advertisement
These transfers were expected to make a massive improvement to the way that the Reds performed but, in reality, they actually did worse.
This made fans question whether the signings that Liverpool made were even worth it and led to them demanding that even more players were brought in this summer.
So far this summer, three new players have been brought in but, with how poor the Reds were last term, even more additions need to be made and now, their next signing seems fairly obvious.
Giorgi Mamardashvili’s performance vs Como proves that Liverpool need a new ‘keeper
One of the worst sales that Liverpool made last summer was selling Caoimhin Kelleher.
Advertisement
The Irishman was the Reds’ back-up goalkeeper for quite some time and, there were even times when he performed better than Alisson.
For a while, the ‘keeper was happy to be the Brazilian’s back-up but, when it became clear that he was good enough to be the starting goalie for most of the Premier League’s teams, he chose to pack his bags and exit Anfield.
Liverpool only got a small amount of money for his transfer as he was in the final year of his contract and, since they didn’t want to lose him for free, they let him go for cheap.
This led to Giorgi Mamardashvili being brought in as the new back-up and, while he looked like a solid player at Valencia, his recent outings for Liverpool have proven that another goalkeeper should definitely be on Liverpool’s priority list.
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Although it was already known that the Georgian was nowhere near Alisson‘s standards, Sunday’s game against Como was the clearest sign of that yet.
Not only is Mamardashvili terrible with the ball at his feet but he’s also an average shot stopper.
When playing for Valencia, his shot-stopping skills looked perfect for a Liverpool player but, because he faced so many more shots with the La Liga outfit, his statistics may not tell the full story.
Obviously, nobodies distribution is ever going to be as good as Alisson’s but, Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Cesc Fabregas’ men further proved why Mamardashvili is not good enough to be Liverpool’s next ‘keeper.
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Liverpool need to figure out who Alisson’s successor is going to be
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Alisson is still arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Before the Brazilian even extended his stay with Liverpool, Juventus were eyeing him as their dream target between the sticks.
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Indeed, his list of injuries have only been increasing season upon season but, when fit, nobody can get close to him.
Admittedly, Kelleher was close on a couple of occasions and would’ve almost certainly been better than Mamardashvili but, in his prime, nobody was better than Alisson.
This summer, however, and James Trafford.
Obviously, both of those players have now moved elsewhere but, the fact that ‘keepers were even being linked proves that Liverpool are eyeing a deal for a new one.
Alisson’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season again and, if Mamardashvili can’t get his act together, Liverpool need to figure out who his successor is going to be.
That’s why Hughes needs to get a deal for a new goalkeeper done as soon as possible.
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