Newcastle still considering transfer of Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Valencia have concrete plans to sell goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and have already secured his replacement, Stole Dimitrievski.

Newcastle United emerged as a serious contender for Mamardashvili’s signature before the transfer window opened in mid-June, but the club were unable to promise him first-team play in place of their current goalkeeper Nick Pope, adding another obstacle to negotiations and the potential addition of the new star to the squad.

Reports from Spain suggest that Mamardashvili would only consider Newcastle’s offer if he was guaranteed the first-choice goalkeeper position in place of Pope, which at this stage and for next season at least, seems a bit far-fetched.

Mamardashvili is gaining more attention with each passing day following his outstanding performances for Georgia at Euro 2024. The 23-year-old played a key role in Georgia’s historic 2-0 win over Portugal, helping his team qualify for the knockout stages of their first major tournament, where they lost 4-1 to Spain.

The victory against Portugal marked the biggest upset in European Championship history, with Portugal ranked 68 places higher than Georgia in the FIFA world rankings.

Mamardashvili’s future remains uncertain, but his performances at Euro 2024 have undoubtedly increased his profile and attracted interest from top clubs, also giving him added leverage in negotiations over his playing time demands.

Valencia have set a £35m price tag for him and Newcastle United have eyed the goalkeeper in the 2023-24 season. That said, the combination of the hefty fee and recent additions on the NUFC goal doesn’t exactly scream the need for Newcastle to pursue the Georgia international.

Newcastle could still acquire an additional goalkeeper this summer following the arrivals of Odysseas Vlachodimos and John Ruddy, but it is hard to believe they will spend such a large sum on the Valencia keeper.

If the Magpies decide to look for another goalkeeper, however, it is reasonable for them to look to Burnley’s James Trafford to act as back-up to Nick Pope and the other two while he develops his game and works his way towards a move to Newcastle.