Liverpool have confirmed the signing of Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia, with the goalkeeper immediately loaned back to Los Che for this season.
The Georgia international impressed at Euro 2024 with his country and has subsequently earned a move to Anfield, becoming the first major signing of Arne Slot's Liverpool tenure.
Mamardashvili will stay in Spain with Valencia for the remainder of the LaLiga campaign before moving to Merseyside ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Widespread reports suggest the Reds have agreed a €30million deal (£25m), including add-ons, to sign the 23-year-old, who will be expected to challenge Alisson for the starting spot in goal.
Mamardashvili's move comes off the back of an impressive European Championship showing, managing 21 saves during the three group-stage games, the joint-most of any goalkeeper in the tournament's history.
He has recorded 102 appearances for Valencia, keeping 31 clean sheets in all competitions and starting both of their fixtures so far this term against Barcelona and Celta Vigo.
Goalkeeping rival Alisson has two years and the option of a further year left on his Liverpool contract, but is expected to remain as the first-choice option, with Caoimhin Kelleher also among the Reds ranks.
Slot's side are said to be interested in Juventus' Federico Chiesa, too, before the transfer window closes on Friday in England.
Man City's Masterplan: Citizens domination since Oasis' last performance
Liam and Noel Gallagher have finally settled their differences to reunite Oasis next year, though their allegiances towards Manchester City have never altered.
Manchester's great duo are, after years of wait, heading back to England's biggest stages, with the news announced on Tuesday to confirm their comeback as definitely, not maybe.
Having last played at V Festival in late August 2009, the pair split just before their beloved City fired to centre stage, rising from the third tier to dominate the Premier League since the brothers' ill-tempered farewell.
With eight Premier League titles, one Champions League crown, three FA Cup wins and six EFL Cup successes, City have transformed their fortunes since Oasis' split.
Here, we unpick the data behind City's success, watching rivals Manchester United Slide Away from the top spot for the city's bragging rights since the Gallaghers parted ways on August 22, 2009.
Champion Supernova
City have lifted eight Premier League titles since Oasis' final performance, winning a massive 1,252 points across that period – 152 more than nearest challengers Liverpool in the same timeframe.
That points tally is also 163 more than neighbours United, with Supersonic City's 385 top-flight wins (219 at home, 166 away) in the aforementioned span far greater than second-placed Liverpool's 322.
The four-in-a-row champions have also managed 1,306 goals, a total that Liverpool (1,112), Arsenal (1,074), Chelsea (1,044) and Man Utd (1,008) can get nowhere near.
Pep's Masterplan
Pep Guardiola may be the only man in Manchester able to rival the Gallagher's fame, with the City boss leading his side to unprecedented heights since his arrival in England eight years ago.
In the same Oasis-less period, Guardiola's 227 Premier League wins are the most of any City manager, ahead of Roberto Mancini (82), Manuel Pellegrini (70), Mark Hughes (five) and caretaker Brian Kidd (one).
That dominance owes to the fact Guardiola is the longest-serving City boss of the span, though his winning percentage of 74% is once again greater than nearest rivals, Mancini (62%) and Pellegrini (61%).
Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Newcastle
Some Might Say no team can keep up with City in the Premier League, but Newcastle United are the side to have struggled most with the Oasis-stricken blues.
Man City have defeated Newcastle 22 times in the Premier League since that fateful last Oasis performance in 2009, suggesting the Magpies are at least Half The World Away from the Citizens' quality.
As Newcastle's hopes of a rare win over City appear to have faded away Little by Little, West Ham have also lost 21 games in that period against the Manchester club, with Villa third on 18 defeats.
Whatever the other teams have struggled with, Middlesbrough – now in the Championship – have suffered no such issues, remaining as the only Premier League side to have not lost against City in the period (two draws in two matches).
Gundowall
Ilkay Gundogan was, at least in jest, said to have played a part in Oasis' reunion after the same Gallagher brothers attempted to lure the Germany midfielder back to the Etihad Stadium.
His 44 goals for City in the period without Oasis rank him 11th on the list of Premier League scorers for the club, which is headed by Argentina's Rock 'N' Roll Star Sergio Aguero, on 184.
The striker's tally is more than double his nearest competitor, Raheem Sterling (91), who makes up the top five with Kevin De Bruyne (69), Erling Haaland (67) and Yaya Toure (62).
As for appearances, former midfielder David Silva answered City's call the most to Stand by Me, racking up 309 league appearances – ahead of Aguero, who is just behind on 275.
Rayo Vallecano 1-2 Barcelona: Olmo's late debut heroics snatch comeback win
Barcelona debutant Dani Olmo struck a late winner to steal a 2-1 comeback victory at Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday, as the LaLiga leaders continued their perfect start to the season with a third consecutive win.
Rayo dominated proceedings in the first half and took the lead with a strike by Unai Lopez in the ninth minute, but Barca were livelier after the break, with Pedri levelling from a counter-attack in the 60th minute.
Olmo, introduced as a substitute for his first outing since leaving RB Leipzig, scored the winner with a curling strike in the 82nd minute, snatching Barca a deserved win to maintain their momentum.
Barcelona top the standings on nine points from three games, two ahead of second-placed Villarreal, while Rayo are eighth on four points.
Data Debrief: Olmo impresses on maiden bow
Olmo is the first player to score on his debut for Barcelona in LaLiga away from home since Sandro Ramirez in August 2014 against Villarreal.
Yet a familiar face paved the way for the leveller, too, with Raphinha setting up Pedri for his 17th assist in 67 LaLiga outings.
Since his arrival at Barca in the 2022-23 campaign, only Antoine Griezmann (24) has provided more assists than the Brazilian in the competition (also 17 for Alex Baena).
Birmingham City 0-2 Fulham: Stansfield helps Cottagers past former side
Jay Stansfield was on target against former club Birmingham City as Fulham swept aside their League One hosts with a comprehensive 2-0 victory in the EFL Cup second round.
Marco Silva's side fell short against Liverpool in the semi-finals of this competition last season, but made another good start to the new cup campaign on Tuesday after easing to victory at St. Andrew's.
Raul Jimenez opened the scoring with a 10th-minute penalty, awarded for handball against Alex Cochrane, before Birmingham were undone by a familiar face just four minutes later.
Striker Stansfield spent last season on loan with the Blues and, owing to that spell, refused to celebrate after profiting from Joachim Andersen's long pass before finishing with a clinical edge.
Birmingham could find no second-half response as Fulham progressed into Wednesday's third-round draw, with the Cottagers' next task a trip to Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Cup control for Cottagers
Fulham have progressed from 12 of their last 15 EFL Cup ties against sides from a lower division, including Tuesday's win and both such matches last term against East Anglian duo Norwich City and Ipswich.
This outcome was somewhat expected, considering Fulham have won their last six games in all competitions against Birmingham by an aggregate score of 16-3.
Birmingham, meanwhile, have lost at this stage in their last four attempts (2017-18, 2021-22, 2023-24 and this season).
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