Giorgi Mamardashvili makes bold claim about Liverpool future in blunt response to exit talk
Giorgi Mamardashvili has shut down the possibility of leaving Liverpool on loan this summer. The Georgia international is set to join the Reds at the end of the season after they agreed a £29m deal with Valencia last August.
The arrival of the 24-year-old is expected to result in Caoimhin Kelleher being granted an Anfield exit, with the Republic of Ireland international having made no secret of his desire to become a first-choice goalkeeper.
Alisson Becker remains the undisputed first choice No.1 at Liverpool, and is expected to retain his place even after the arrival of Mamardashvili. And the Georgian is looking forward to training alongside the Brazilian as he revealed the Reds had been open with the goalkeeper regarding their long-term plans for him.
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'They are looking at me as the Liverpool goalkeeper for the next 10 years,' he told Geo Team when asked what the Reds told him during transfer negotiations last year. 'My next step will be the same as it was in Valencia.
'I will go and prove it and do what I can. The main thing is patience, training and hard work. And everything else will come by itself.
'I think it will be good. Training with (Alisson) will help me grow too and I will gain a lot of experience with him.'
Mamardashvili would then shake his head and say 'no' in response to being asked, 'In other words, Giorgio Mamardashvili is not considering a loan?' before confirming he intends to remain at Liverpool.
The Georgian hasn't spoken to Arne Slot or any of his new Liverpool team-mates, but he has remained in contact with club bosses and the Reds' goalkeeping department throughout the season.
'No, I haven't spoken to the main man (Arne Slot), but I have direct contact with the goalkeeper (coach) and we talk all the time,' he revealed. 'Yes, they have even visited several times.
'They even came and talked to me from Liverpool. Of course, yes, they give you a lot of attention.'
Meanwhile, Mamardashvili paid tribute to Jose Manuel Ochotorena ahead of his Valencia exit as he admitted it will be difficult to leave the La Liga club.
The Spaniard previously spent three years as Liverpool's goalkeeping coach under Rafa Benitez after joining the Reds alongside the former Valencia boss in 2004 and was a member of the backroom staff that memorably won the Champions League in Istanbul in 2005.
Returning to Valencia after leaving Liverpool, Ochotorena has worked alongside Mamardashvili since he joined the club in 2021, with the Georgian highlighting the former Reds coach's role in his development.
'It's not easy to say goodbye after four years,' he admitted. 'They've literally raised me. I've been here since I was 19, and it will be very difficult.
'Ochotorena is a person, if it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't have been able to play, not only at this level, but I wouldn't have been able to play in Valencia.
'In my opinion, he helped me a lot. He was there for me during difficult times when I had bad games and failed.
'Even in good games, we talked all the time. He helped me psychologically and stood by me a lot.'
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However, he's still only 24 and as long as he stays fit and in form, will have more major tournaments ahead of him. _____ Why he makes the list: After helping Leverkusen to an undefeated Bundesliga season in 2023-24 and the club's first-ever German top flight title, the attacking playmaker, 22, appears set to join English Premier League champions for the season ahead of the '26 World Cup. What this World Cup '26 would mean: Four time world champion Germany hasn't been able to even survive the group stage at the past two World Cups. There's no doubt that Writz and the rest of Die Mannschaft will be bent on ending that embarrassing streak next summer. _____ Why he makes the list: Still just 17, Yamal already might be the best player on the planet. The silky smooth attacker played a key role in helping La Roja win the European Championship last summer by scoring a spectacular goal in the semifinal win over France, then followed that up by leading Barca to Spanish title and the Champions League semis. No wonder he's on the Ballon d'Or short list this year. What this World Cup '26 would mean: For all those accomplishments, Yamal still isn't yet a household name in quite the way Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe are. One reason for that? Yamal has yet to play in a World Cup. He'll become a bona fide global superstar next summer, though, on a team that is more than capable of lifting the trophy. Laken Litman covers college football, college basketball and soccer for FOX Sports. She previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star. She is the author of "Strong Like a Woman," published in spring 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Follow her at @LakenLitman . Doug McIntyre is a soccer reporter for FOX Sports who has covered United States men's and women's national teams at FIFA World Cups on five continents. Follow him @ ByDougMcIntyre . recommended Get more from FIFA Men's World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
