Liverpool closing in on first summer signing after deal agreed - report

Liverpool have struck a deal to sign Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, reports have confirmed.

Mamardashvili, 23, was one of the stand-out goalkeepers at Euro 2024 with Georgia and emerged earlier this summer as Liverpool's preferred long-term replacement for current Anfield favourite Alisson.

There had been reports that Mamardashvili could join Liverpool this summer and immediately move to Bournemouth on loan but, as first revealed by MARCA, a deal has now been agreed which will see the goalkeeper return to Valencia on a season-long deal.

A fee of around €40m (£33.9m), which Fabrizio Romano adds is an initial €35m (£29.6m), has been agreed and Mamardashvili is now heading to Merseyside for a medical.

If all goes to plan, Mamardashvili will return immediately to Valencia and make the formal switch to Anfield next summer, when Liverpool will have a decision to make on the future of Alisson ahead of his 33rd birthday.

In an open interview with The Times, Alisson recently confessed he agreed with Liverpool's decision to chase Mamardashvili.

"The club needs to prepare for the future," he said. "We are not going to last forever here, I am getting old! No, for a goalkeeper I am still young, I have a lot of energy and I still have much to give for this club and I want to give to the club as much as I can.

"They will do it for different positions as well. We have so many important players with the contract expiring and the club needs to organise themselves for the future.

"I think it was a good idea. I knew about that [Mamardashvili] before it came out on social media and that is a good message for me because the club cares about what I think. They are doing the right thing but, on my side, as long as I have my contract here and as long as I am happy here, the club is happy with me, my family is happy here, I will stay."

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