"The summer of 2018 was a transformative one for Liverpool Football Club and then-manager Jurgen Klopp. It carries so much weight in hindsight because, in that transfer window, we saw the arrivals of Alisson Becker and Fabinho, from Roma and Monaco respectively. These arrivals were seen as absolute must-haves for the club that had been struggling to find a top, top class keeper since prime Pepe Reina, as well as having an anchor in front of the defense."
"A then-world record transfer fee for a goalkeeper of £66.8 million now looks like an absolute steal in hindsight. Becker became the best goalie in the world, and to this day, is still one of the best one-one-one shot stoppers out there. It is because of this, despite his recent injury history, talks of his departure should have Liverpool concerned. The club has shown it is not ready for life in a Alisson Becker-less world."
"When Liverpool completed the signing of Georgian Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia, it was seen as astute forward thinking from the Reds' hierarchy. At just 23 at the time and coming off of a heroic showing in goal during Euro 2024 for his nation, the deal was considered a big win. Mamardashvili stayed in Valencia for that season before making the move over to Anfield permanently in 2025."
"That season saw him play behind an atrocious defense in La Liga, and his save percentage dipped from 72% the previous season to only a very average 67% during 2024/25. However, he still showed great promise with his tremendous size, coupled with strong reflexes meaning he was still very formidable in 1v1 moments. It was his poor ball distribution that left a lot to be desired by a lot of experts."
Liverpool’s 2018 transfer window brought Alisson Becker and Fabinho, viewed as essential upgrades for a club lacking an elite goalkeeper and a defensive anchor. Alisson’s performance justified the then-world-record fee of £66.8 million, with him becoming one of the best one-on-one shot stoppers and delivering strong value over nearly a decade. Despite recent injury history, potential departure should raise concerns because Liverpool has not shown readiness for life without him. Giorgi Mamardashvili was later signed from Valencia as a long-term option, but his first season involved playing behind a weak defense, with save percentage dropping from 72% to 67%. His size and reflexes remained promising, though ball distribution was criticized as a key weakness.
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