Liverpool told they’re signing a player that doesn’t seem like a good fit for them

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Liverpool have enjoyed a superb start to the Premier League season, sitting five points clear at the top of the table after 11 games.

The Reds are also at the summit of the Champions League group-stage table and are in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool boss Arne Slot will look to the market for reinforcements.

There is one player who Liverpool are definitely set to welcome to Anfield next year, but Premier League pundit Mark Schwarzer has now expressed surprise over this signing.

READ MORE: Gabriel Agbonlahor says Liverpool have a top talent who’s easily worth £500k-a-week

Mark Schwarzer surprised by Liverpool signing Giorgi Mamardashvili

The player in question is Giorgi Mamardashvili, who signed for Liverpool last summer but is seeing the season out with previous parent club Valencia.

Schwarzer, speaking on the Optus Sport Football Podcast, said the Georgia international is a “top-class” goalkeeper, but he isn’t known for playing out from the back.

“The thing about that is, and we talked about it at the Euros as well, his strong point isn’t playing with the ball at his feet, Mamardashvili,” the Premier League goalkeeping legend said. “He’s okay, but he is not the goalkeeper.

“That’s why I was a little bit surprised by Liverpool signing him, not in terms of, I think he is a top-class goalkeeper, I loved him at the Euros, I thought he was brilliant, I just don’t know whether he is the type of goalkeeper that Liverpool would want.

“I don’t understand it because I don’t think he is the blueprint of goalkeeper that they would have, like Alisson or even Kelleher with the ball at his feet, because they are very, very good.”

What La Liga expert has said about Mamardashvili

Back in September, the Liverpool media team spoke to Dermot Corrigan, La Liga correspondent for The Athletic, about Mamardashvili.

Corrigan described the 24-year-old as a “big, physically imposing guy with a lot of personality” who excels at saving penalties.

However, he acknowledged that playing out from the back isn’t something Mamardashvili has done very often so far in his career.

“Sometimes goalkeepers who come from other leagues might be more used to staying on their line, not coming for crosses, not coming off their line to engage with strikers – I wouldn’t be worried about that,” said Corrigan.

“He is kind of a traditional goalkeeper. At Valencia, he hasn’t played under coaches in the more modern school of building it out from the back, splitting the centre-backs and the goalkeeper being a playmaker from the back.

“I don’t think he’s done that for Valencia or Georgia – I’m not saying that he’s not capable of it but it’s something that he hasn’t really had that much experience of so far in his career.”

Mamardashvili is in the running for the Yashin Trophy, which recognises the best goalkeeper from the previous season.

The Liverpool-bound stopper made the cut thanks to his heroics with Georgia, helping his nation to the knockout stages of Euro 2024.