Newcastle submit €41 million bid to sign 23-year-old Chelsea-linked La Liga star: Reports
Newcastle United have reportedly tabled an offer to snap up Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, a Chelsea target. Mamardashvili, 23, has had an impressive season with the La Liga club.
The Georgian had 13 clean sheets in 37 games in the Spanish top flight, where Valencia finished ninth. He's contracted with the Mestalla outfit till 2027, but that hasn't stopped interest from elsewhere.
Pedro Morata of COPE (via Sport Bible) has reported that the Magpies are prepared to match Valencia's valuation of €41 million for Mamardashvili. The 23-year-old is getting ready for his first international tournament at the upcoming European Championship with Germany.
The Magpies saw first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope miss large swathes of the 2023-24 season due to injury in December. They reckon Mamardashvili - who has 31 clean sheets in 100 games across competitions for Los Che - could be an able replacement. However, the Georgian is contracted with Valencia till 2027.
Newcastle endured an underwhelming 2023-24 campaign after their highs of 2022-23 - when they finished top-four to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. They finished seventh, three points behind sixth-placed Chelsea - who have qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
A recap of Chelsea and Newcastle's 2023-24 seasons
A new-look Chelsea side under Mauricio Pochettino initially struggled for consistency amid injuries to key players. However, they found form at the end of the season - reeling off five straight wins to finish a creditable sixth.
They had initially qualified for the UEFA Europa League, but with Manchester United upsetting holders Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final, the Blues dropped to the Conference League instead.
Pochettino's side also fared well in the cup competitions, losing to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final and to holders City in the FA Cup semifinals.
Meanwhile, Eddie Howe's Newcastle - as mentioned above - finished seventh. In the UEFA Champions League, they finished bottom of a group containing Borussia Dortmund, PSG and AC Milan. The Magpies made the quarterfinals of both domestic cups, though.