Confirmed signing declares he'll be first choice as Arne Slot faces almighty selection dilemma

Arne Slot will be tasked with resolving an almighty selection dilemma after a confirmed Liverpool signing fired a warning shot to the player he aims to replace, though as far as problems go it’s certainly a good one for the Reds manager to have.

Liverpool overhauled their midfield in the summer of 2023, though have been relatively settled in the defensive and attacking positions for some time. Sadio Mane’s exit was offset by the arrivals of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, while Roberto Firmino was replaced by Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez.

Another area of the pitch Liverpool haven’t had to put much thought into for many a year is between the sticks.

Alisson Becker is arguably the world’s No 1 goalkeeper, while Caoimhin Kelleher as the back-up is superior to most starters in the league.

However, Liverpool’s goalkeeping department will be in the spotlight at season’s end when Giorgi Mamardashvili arrives.

The Georgian ace was signed by Liverpool last summer, though it was agreed he’d stay at Valencia for the 2025/26 campaign.

Upon arriving at Anfield, Slot will be tasked with fitting two elite stoppers into one position. It’s a dilemma he’ll have to grapple with, though as far as issues go having too many quality options to choose from is certainly not a bad one.

Many will expect Alisson to retain the gloves, though according to Mamardashvili himself, he’s not signed for Liverpool to warm the bench.

In quotes carried by Fabrizio Romano, Mamardashvili declared: “I am going to Liverpool to fight for the number one spot.

“I will go there to train at my best and I don’t know what they will decide afterward. I don’t decide who plays and who doesn’t.”

What are Liverpool’s options?

Cleaning up the muddy waters to some small degree will be the anticipated exit of Kelleher.

The Irishman has made no secret of his desire to be a regular starter which given Mamardashvili’s arrival, now looks impossible to achieve at Anfield.

Kelleher will have just one year remaining on his contract come the summer and exit opportunities will be explored. Bournemouth were recently described by talkSPORT as leading the race to sign the stopper who Liverpool value at £30m.

With Kelleher leaving, Liverpool’s goalkeeping conundrum will boil down to Alisson vs Mamardashvili.

It would be the shock of all shocks to see Liverpool either sell or bench the Brazilian who proved in the Champions League clash with PSG why he’s rated as the world’s best.

Furthermore, Alisson is under contract until 2027 and previously admitted he was consulted by Liverpool when the club decided to move for Mamardashvili.

The veteran stopper revealed he was on board with the signing and fully understood the club must safeguard their future, though that’s not to say a changing of the guard will come straight away.

As such, much will depend on whether Mamardashvili is willing to accept the type of role Kelleher has assumed over recent seasons. Outings in the cup competitions and covering for Alisson in the event he sustains an injury may be the extent of Mamardashvili’s first season on Merseyside.

If the Georgian is unwilling to accept he’s second choice, a loan could be explored to ensure Liverpool kick a decision down the road.

However, that scenario would result in both Kelleher AND Mamardashvili not being available to Slot for the 2025/26 season. The beneficiary in that regard could be Vítszslav Jaros – Liverpool’s current No 3 – who’d be promoted to second choice.

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GO DEEPER: How Mamardashvili has fared since Liverpool agreement

By Samuel Bannister

August 27: In a deal worth £25m plus £4m in add-ons, Liverpool confirm they have signed Mamardashvili and that he will remain with Valencia for the rest of the season.

September 21: At the sixth time of asking, Mamardashvili keeps his first clean sheet of the season in a league game against Girona.

October 27: Mamardashvili makes a stunning double save in stoppage time against Getafe that would later be highlighted as one of the best stops in the 2024-25 LaLiga season.

October 28: At the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Mamardashvili comes seventh in the voting for the Yashin Trophy.

December 7: Mamardashvili suffers a leg injury that keeps him out of Valencia’s next four LaLiga games.

December 27: Mamardashvili wins the Georgian Footballer of the Year award.

January 11: Upon his return, Mamardashvili weakly concedes a stoppage-time equaliser against Sevilla.

January 26: Valencia concede seven goals in a defeat to Barcelona, with Mamardashvili starting in goal.

March 2: After a 3-3 draw with Osasuna, a report on AS says: “Mamardashvili has not been a miracle-working goalkeeper for some time now. He has become mundane.

March 3: Valencia boss Carlos Corberan addresses Mamardashvili’s most recent performance by ominously stating: “I don’t like to publicly evaluate the individual performance of each player, but I do it privately. We compensate for any subpar performances with a lot of work.

March 14: Corberan backs Mamardashvili after he made an error leading to a goal in his previous appearance, saying: “I really liked his reaction during the second half of the last match. Football is a game of getting things right and errors. Giorgi had both. I understand the debate as to his position, but I’m focused on the work we’re doing, and it’s been a completely normal week.”

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