Mauricio Pochettino wants 6'6 tall goalkeeper as Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy replacement at Chelsea - Reports
According to Football London, Mauricio Pochettino wants Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili at Chelsea next season. The Georgia international would replace Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy, who have been far from their best in the 2022-23 season.
Giorgi Mamardashvili has plied his trade at Valencia since 2021. He has kept 18 clean sheets in 62 appearances since then in the struggling La Liga side that finished 15th this season. He notably recorded 560 minutes without conceding a goal in the 2021-22 season and was named in La Liga's Discovery of the Season team by MARCA.
The 22-year-old's contract with the club will run until 2027, however, due to their league position, Valencia may be forced to sell to raise funds. One likely suitor would be Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly in the market for a new goalkeeper due to the underwhelming performances of Kepa and Mendy this season. Edouard Mendy only kept one clean sheet in 14 appearances before being dropped by Graham Potter and Frank Lampard for Kepa.
The Spain international fared better, keeping 12 clean sheets in 39 appearances. This did not prevent Chelsea from finishing 12th in the Premier League, with just 44 points.
Mamardashvili would definitely serve as direct competition to Kepa and will likely replace Mendy in the Blues' squad. As per Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea recently sent scouts to watch him play for a potential summer transfer.
Tottenham Hotspur are also reportedly interested in signing Mamardashvili, so Pochettino must move fast to get the deal over the line.
Luis Suarez makes Federico Valverde claim amid rumors of Chelsea interest
Luis Suarez recently likened Real Madrid star Federico Valverde to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. This came after Chelsea were linked to the Uruguayan midfielder after a report from SPORT claimed that Mauricio Pochettino was interested in bringing him to Stamford Bridge.
Mauricio Pochettino will need to bolster his squad in order to challenge for silverware this season. He has reportedly convinced Todd Boehly to offer £85 million to sign Valverde. The 24-year-old is one of the most versatile players in the world and can play as a defensive midfielder, right-winger, and right-back.
In an interview with MARCA, Luis Suarez spoke highly of Valverde. He said (via IcFootballnews):
“Honestly – and there are the newspaper archives from 2017 when Fede debuted in the national team – I already said that he reminded me of Steven Gerrard, who was my teammate at Liverpool. He has similar conditions. A box to box, with punch, change of pace, a lot of arrival. I don’t want to compare, but the characteristics are similar."
Despite Chelsea's interest and alleged willingness to pay for Valverde's services, Real Madrid have deemed him 'untouchable' as per the same report.
The Uruguay international is also unlikely to want to leave, especially after he has won two La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League in recent seasons with Los Blancos. Blessed with the ability to take long shots, Valverde has registered 12 goals and seven assists in 56 games for Los Blancos this season.