Newcastle United have ‘made a real move’ to sign Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and already sent scouts to watch him on five separate occasions.
That’s according to journalist Nacho Sanchis, who says the Magpies are making moves to get the goalkeeper and already know his conditions for a potential transfer to St James Park.
He reports that Mamardashvili is one of the names at Valencia that is likely to be seen throughout the summer transfer window and Newcastle are likely to be involved.
He has several suitors, but Newcastle are the only club that, to date, have ‘made a real move’ for the Georgian goalkeeper.
They’ve travelled to Mestalla to see him on ‘more than five occasions’ this season and know all the goalkeeper’s conditions for leaving Valencia.
They’ve been able to learn that Valencia expect a fee of around €30m, although they’d start negotiations at €35m. That’s a figure they may be able to afford, although it depends on where they finish and what European competition they can qualify for, as that will determine FFP and PSR.
Either way, they’ve formally transferred their interest to the player and are the only club to have done so at this point.
Mamardashvili is interested in the move to St James Park because he wants to play in England should he leave Spain and they would make him number one, a key condition for him. The move would also allow him to join a ‘European project’ but with less pressure than say at Chelsea.
He’s more than happy where he is, though, so Newcastle will need to put the charm on if they truly want him. That point is debatable in itself.
They already have Nick Pope as their number one and have been more than happy with him, and at 32-years-old, he’s hardly over the hill, especially for a goalkeeper.
He has spent most of this season out injured, though, and perhaps the Magpies are planning ahead amid concerns over those problems.
