Arne Slot has warned Giorgi Mamardashvili that he will not be immediately handed the no.1 jersey at Liverpool next season, despite Liverpool’s £29million ($37) outlay on the player.

A deal to sign the goalkeeper from Valencia was secured last year but his arrival was deferred for 12 months, meaning he will join Liverpool ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.



The Brazilian made nine saves to deny PSG - a record for a Liverpool goalkeeper in the Champions League - and was hailed as the world’s best by Slot and Virgil van Dijk.

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“I think he is at Valencia and they are in just as important a phase of the season as we are in, so it wouldn’t be smart for me to talk about a player that maybe belongs to us but is in such an important part of the season at Valencia,” Slot said on Friday when asked about Mamardashvili’s imminent arrival.

“But in general I can say if you want to play for Liverpool, you have to accept that there is competition.

That is not only Liverpool but that is in every Premier League club at the moment because of all the money that is in this league but in Liverpool if you don’t want to face competition then it is not the best place to go to.”

The reference to competition for places could be a hint that Mamardashvili will not immediately command the no.1 jersey when he arrives, even if Alisson will turn 33 next season.

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“To become the world's best you make saves others don't and he had one or two of them on Wednesday,” Slot said separately on Friday when asked about Alisson’s display in Paris