Not even a Liverpool player yet, Giorgi Mamardashvili is already feeling something of the scrutiny that comes with an association to Anfield. There were certainly more eyes than usual on his struggles in a 7-1 defeat to Barcelona, and the latest update is not especially flattering.

Considered one of the best young goalkeepers around, Mamardashvili's capture was widely hailed in the summer. Liverpool was questioned for its decision not to immediately back Arne Slot in the transfer market, but it has become abundantly clear that the Dutchman already had enough to work with, and the arrival of a new stopper in a few months' time will be another building block for the long-term future.

All being well, the 24-year-old could even be joining up with the Premier League champions, although there is plenty of football still to be played. He will presumably arrive as an understudy to Alisson at first, though he is expected to replace Caoimhin Kelleher as the number two.

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Whether or not that will be an upgrade remains to be seen. Kelleher has once again showcased his value when called upon this season — which, in fairness, has been another reminder that he absolutely deserves to be the number one somewhere.

Mamardashvili would have hoped to impress Liverpool fans from afar. But the campaign has not been without its complications.

For one thing, he suffered an injury which kept him out for most of December. Having had to contend with a surprising number of fitness setbacks to Alisson over the years, Liverpool will hope not to be repeating that pattern.

Far more importantly, Mamardashvili has struggled to hit his best performance levels. He has occasionally done the rounds on Liverpool social media for the right reasons, with a couple of excellent saves quickly clipped up and widely shared, but the bigger picture is not quite so positive.

As WhoScored shared in a BlueSky update, no player has made more errors leading to goals in La Liga this season than Mamardashvili. It is not a flattering statistic, with the latest mistake coming in that heavy defeat to Barcelona.

However, it is immediately worth noting that the number of errors in question is two. It's not as though Mamardashvili is dropping clangers every week, and the slightly snide update is a taste of the sometimes unfair scrutiny that comes with playing for a massive club like Liverpool.

Moreover, Mamardashvili is playing in a pretty dire Valencia side. Of course, he must take responsibility for his own errors, but there's a reason Liverpool reportedly explored the idea of sending him out to Bournemouth for the current campaign.

How different the narrative might have been if that transfer had gone ahead. Andoni Iraola's side is flying, and Mamardashvili could be basking in the reflected plaudits.

Instead, he is in the trenches, and this latest update is a tough one to take. But with his best years still stretching way out ahead of him, the Anfield hierarchy will not be too concerned, and Slot will still be getting ready to welcome his future number one.