Fabrizio Romano responds to reports that Liverpool will sell major player with £29m replacement set to join

Fabrizio Romano has addressed when Giorgi Mamardashvili might replace Alisson Becker at Liverpool.

Despite current claims suggesting that Liverpool could transfer star goalkeeper Alisson Becker to Saudi Arabia in 2025, there is no immediate concern, even though the Reds have already secured his long-term successor in Giorgi Mamardashvili, as Fabrizio Romano has clarified.

Liverpool is known for its strategic transfer planning, often resulting in the acquisition of players who make a significant impact. While some players may not reach their full potential, Michael Edwards—who returned this summer as CEO of football after a decade as sporting director—has generally made successful decisions.

This summer’s strategic move was evident when Liverpool signed the tall Georgian goalkeeper Mamardashvili from Valencia. After a standout performance at Euro 2024, demand for the 6ft 6in player was high, but Liverpool secured him with an initial £25m (€29.6m / $32.8m) plus £4m in add-ons, totaling around £29m (€34.3m / $38m).

Liverpool’s advantage is that Mamardashvili’s transfer will be postponed by a year, allowing Valencia to keep him on loan for the 2024/25 season. This decision makes sense for Liverpool, who already have one of the top goalkeepers globally in Alisson Becker.

Having joined from Roma in the summer of 2018 for £56m (€66.3m / $73.5m), Alisson remains the second most expensive goalkeeper in history. Unlike Kepa Arrizabalaga, the most expensive, Alisson has justified his price tag. This season, he has yet to concede a goal in 270 minutes of play, with Liverpool’s defense remaining unbreached in their three games, including a notable 3-0 win at Old Trafford.

Alisson, with 266 appearances for Liverpool and a memorable goal against West Brom in 2021, has proven his worth. Liverpool’s interest in Mamardashvili also reflects concerns over interest from Saudi Arabia in Alisson. TEAMtalk previously reported that Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr had shown significant interest in Alisson this summer.

Romano has dismissed the speculation about Alisson’s future, emphasizing that it is too early to make predictions. “On the rumors for Alisson, it’s the same as Kovacic, nothing at all,” Romano stated in the Daily Briefing. “Mentioning a target today for a club in July 2025 is a guess job, and I’m not into it guys. The Saudis have appreciated Alisson for a long time but that’s it. Predicting his future means inventing stuff.”

Liverpool and manager Arne Slot are confident in their goalkeeping position for the foreseeable future. Alisson’s contract runs until summer 2027, so the club is not rushing to move him. His impressive record of 89 clean sheets in 204 Premier League appearances underlines his importance to the team.

For the time being, Liverpool has no urgent plans to replace their number one goalkeeper and will likely let him decide when it’s time for a new challenge.

As for Mamardashvili, he will continue with Valencia for now. Initially, Liverpool intended to loan him to Bournemouth, but Premier League regulations blocked this plan. Bournemouth has instead loaned Kepa from Chelsea for the 2024/25 season.

If Alisson stays at Anfield, Mamardashvili’s move could be deferred, though a future transfer to Anfield could still be in the cards, possibly with a delayed move to the Premier League after another year.