Giorgi Mamardashvili has revealed that Bayern Munich came close to signing him last summer, but ultimately decided against meeting the €35 million asking price.
As Manuel Neuer was still recovering after his skiing accident, Bayern Munich were looking to sign a new goalkeeper last summer. Giorgi Mamardashvili was one of the names on Bayern's list of targets as a potential long-term successor to Neuer. And the Valencia star has now revealed just how close he was to making the switch to Bavaria.
"My transfer to Bayern Munich was almost done last summer," Mamardashvili told Geo Team. "My agent visited Munich with my father to find an apartment. But as far as I know, in the end, they refused to pay 35 million for me."
The Bayern Munich bosses ultimately decided to sign Daniel Peretz from Maccabi Tel Aviv, with the 23 year old arriving for an initial fee in the region of 6-7 million euros. The 23 year old made a total of two appearances during his debut season with Bayern, and could leave the club on a loan deal this summer.
Mamardashvili is regarded among the top young goalkeepers in Europe, and is currently being linked with a move to Chelsea and Newcastle United. He could be set for a move away from Valencia this summer.
As for Neuer's long-term replacement, Bayern have already made it clear that they are planning with Alexander Nübel. The 27 year old recently signed a contract extension with Bayern Munich and will spend next two seasons on loan at VfB Stuttgart, having helped them qualify for the UEFA Champions League in the recently concluded campaign.