Mauricio Pochettino identifies Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy replacement at Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino may bring in Giorgi Mamardashvili, the goalkeeper from Valencia, to join Chelsea, as recent reports suggest that scouts from the London club have been sent to observe the 22-year-old player.
Chelsea faced difficulties with their goalkeeping position during the last season. Initially, Edouard Mendy did not meet the expectations he had established in his previous two seasons with the club. Additionally, Mendy suffered an injury, leading to the return of Kepa Arrizabalaga as the primary goalkeeper.
In a late campaign match against Nottingham Forest, Edouard Mendy was given a chance by Frank Lampard to regain his position as the goalkeeper. It was his first start since the World Cup. However, Mendy failed to make the most of this opportunity.
He made an error by rushing out and missing a cross, which ultimately allowed Taiwo Awoniyi to score the opening goal with a header.
In addition to Edouard Mendy’s struggles, it is worth noting that he only achieved one clean sheet in 14 league matches during the previous campaign. This lack of consistent performance raises doubts about his ability to maintain the position as the first-choice goalkeeper in the future.
As a result, Mauricio Pochettino might be considering the need for a new goalkeeper, and Giorgi Mamardashvili, a talented young goalkeeper from Georgia who currently plays for Valencia, has emerged as the leading candidate to potentially fill the position at Stamford Bridge.
According to information shared by Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea has recently dispatched scouts to closely evaluate Mamardashvili’s skills and potential, indicating their interest in a potential transfer during the summer window.
Despite Giorgi Mamardashvili having a contract with Valencia until 2027 and the club’s reluctance to part ways with their talented goalkeeper, Valencia’s disappointing finish in the lower half of the standings indicates that significant efforts are needed to regain their competitiveness in European football. It is possible that a financial boost might be necessary to facilitate such a turnaround.
Adding to the speculation, Fabrizio Romano also mentioned that Mamardashvili’s agent, Levan Seturidze, visited London in early April to hold meetings with representatives from English clubs in anticipation of the upcoming transfer window. Seturidze even attended Chelsea’s goalless draw against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, further intensifying the rumors surrounding a potential move for the goalkeeper.
Understand Leicester are leading the race to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili, as the Georgian goalkeeper is attracting lot of interest 🚨🔵🇬🇪 #LCFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 5, 2023
His agent Levan Seturidze was yesterday at Stamford Bridge for CFC-LFC game; he’s in London as @Geo__Team called working on summer move. pic.twitter.com/tfi7034639
At that time, Leicester City was reportedly in the front position in the race to sign Mamardashvili, but their recent relegation from the top-flight might have extinguished their chances of securing the La Liga talent. In April, Romano also mentioned that Tottenham were potential suitors, in addition to Chelsea.
If Chelsea’s scouting mission has yielded positive results, Mauricio Pochettino may need to act swiftly in order to fend off competition from his former club and secure the signing of Mamardashvili. Time could be of the essence in finalizing the deal before other interested parties make their moves.
Mauricio Pochettino identifies Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy replacement at Chelsea
