Giorgi Mamardashvili’s long-term future at Liverpool is under genuine scrutiny as the 2026/27 campaign begins.
The Georgian goalkeeper arrived from Valencia in a £29 million deal agreed in 2024, with the clear expectation that he would eventually succeed Alisson Becker as Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper. Twelve months on from his formal arrival, that succession plan looks less certain.
Mamardashvili made 20 appearances across all competitions in 2025/26, far more than originally anticipated after Alisson’s recurring hamstring problems. He produced several strong performances, including an assured display in the League Cup win over Tottenham. Yet questions persist about his distribution under pressure and occasional uncertainty in high-stakes moments. Those doubts have not gone away.
According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, this season is effectively make-or-break for the 25-year-old. Liverpool’s hierarchy still rate his raw ability, but the club’s recent £30 million investment in Belgian teenager Lucca Brughmans has sharpened the competition. Brughmans remains on loan at Genk and is expected to join the first-team squad next summer. If Alisson signs a new contract, Mamardashvili risks another year as understudy—an outcome that may not suit a player who wants to establish himself as a regular starter.
New head coach Andoni Iraola will give Mamardashvili the platform to prove himself this season. Consistent, high-level performances could reaffirm Liverpool’s original succession plan. Anything less and the club may begin exploring alternative long-term options between the posts.
The next nine months will decide whether Mamardashvili becomes Liverpool’s next number one—or another expensive experiment that never quite delivered.
