Giorgi Mamardashvili has provided a clear explanation for his decision not to join Liverpool last summer.
The Reds signed the goalkeeper from Valencia in a £30million deal before loaning him back to the La Liga club for the season. The 24-year-old is being touted as the future No. 1 at Liverpool, the man to replace current stopper Alisson.
The Brazilian has been the go-to goalkeeper at Anfield since his transfer from Roma in 2018, but he faces stiff competition for his position when Mamardashvili arrives. Caoimhin Kelleher has proven himself a reliable backup for Liverpool, especially this season when Alisson was out with a hamstring injury for several weeks.
But next season, Mamardashvili will be vying for the No. 1 spot at the Reds, and the Georgia international opened up about his deal to sign for Liverpool after suffering a horrendous night for his current club, as they endured a 7-1 thrashing at Barcelona - a result leaving them languishing 19th in La Liga.
Post-match, DAZN - the broadcaster covering the game in Spain - caught a conversation between Mamardashvili and Barca star Ferran Torres.
The two were spotted chatting after the final whistle at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. DAZN claims to have uncovered the topic of Mamardashvili and Torres' conversation, which reportedly revolved around the goalkeeper's move to Liverpool.
Torres reportedly quizzed Mamardashvili with the question: "Why didn't you leave this year?". The future Liverpool shot-stopper had a succinct reply to that: "Alisson".
Mamardashvili has been between the sticks for Valencia 17 times this season, with all his appearances in La Liga.
The keeper was recently out of action due to a leg injury but is keen to pull out all the stops to help Valencia steer clear of the drop zone before he makes his switch to Anfield when the summer comes around.