In the end, it was another major upset in an international competition which will live fondly in the memory - this time it was Georgia’s tactical domination of Portugal at Euro 2024.
The cameras panned to a beleaguered and frustrated Cristiano Ronaldo, his pained expression contrasting with the jubilation of Georgia fans in the Veltins-Arena. Moments like this will be clipped and rehashed on social media and television for years to come: Georgia’s greatest day.
But there was a subplot unfolding, perhaps the largest unveiling yet of one of the most talented goalkeepers playing today.
The save Giorgi Mamardashvili made from Diogo Dalot’s long strike might have received the most gasps at first glance, but on reflection his parrying of Nelson Semedo’s shot from two yards out was the pick of the bunch.
Only a select few in the world can adjust their arms like that.
Mamardashvili’s talent was well-known to recruitment teams in the Premier League way before Euro 2024. Now it’s there for all to see on the biggest stage of all.
The Georgia goalkeeper was linked with moves to Chelsea and Newcastle ahead of the competition. But each club balked at the idea of paying Valencia’s asking price of €40 million.
The tournament in Germany has shown that this was more than good value; arguably the La Liga side will want double that now.
The 23-year-old has been nothing short of sensational - even if Willy Sagnol’s side are knocked out in the Round of 16 by Spain, there is a solid argument that Mamardashvili has been Euro 2024’s finest goalkeeper, better even than Italy’s Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Giorgi Mamardashvili Transfer Value - how much is he worth?
According to our Player Valuation Model, Mamardashvili has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €27m.
That is likely to continue rising after his exploits at Euro 2024.
It was only two years ago that Valencia paid £900k for his services from Romania’s Dinamo Tbilisi. Now, some of Europe’s wealthiest clubs are looking to acquire him.
What would Mamardashvili bring to Newcastle?
PSR has restricted Newcastle financially so far this summer.
The club seemingly pulled away from Mamardashvili and instead made an approach for James Trafford of Burnley. But now, that too has faded away.
The club wants someone to compete with and eventually replace Nick Pope. As well as the right-wing and centre-back positions, it’s a spot they want to bolster.
Mamardashvili, the man who has the best PSxG-GA in Euro 2024 so far, would more than help them do that.
The Georgian saves 50% of the shots he faces, putting him in the 93rd percentile. He is a great distributor of the ball - Valencia, like Georgia, ask him to use his passing range to find team-mates rather than play out from the back.
These kicks fly on average 41.4 yards, to put that into context only 7% of goalkeepers are capable of matching it. It means he can bypass the middle line and attacks can be made straight to the flanks.
This is not to say he would excel in an Allardycian blueprint though: attackers must be technically skilled enough to control the ball to the ground without an ensuing second-ball melee.
Mamardashvili keeps a clean sheet every three games. As impressive as that sounds, we must consider that he plays at club level for a side which finished ninth in La Liga last season.
Being shielded by an elite backline would see that number improve further.
Mamardashvili is a line goalkeeper who does not like to race off his line, and the numbers show this. Defensive actions outside the box stand at a measly 0.85 per 90 minutes - putting him in the bottom third.
This would offer a slightly different element for Newcastle, whose current man Pope enjoys moving out at a more frequent rate.
Mamardashvili would be an undoubted asset to the Magpies, but they would also need to find more pace in their backline to accommodate him.
Euro 2024: More from Sporting Life
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