La Liga 2023-24: Five goalkeepers to watch out for
A goalkeeper often decides a club's fortune and in football, the goalkeeper's role is always evolving. Apart from their primary role of shot-stopping, they are now required to play an important role in build-up. Marc-Andre ter Stegen won the Zamora trophy last season, recording 26 clean sheets in La Liga. We present five goalkeepers to watch out for in the upcoming 2023-24 La Liga.
Giorgi Mamardashvili, Valencia
One of the brightest young goalkeepers in Europe, Giorgi Mamardashvili is on the radar of many clubs. The Georgian custodian featured in 38 matches last season in La Liga for Valencia and kept seven clean sheets while making 105 saves. Mamardashvili was one of the primary reasons why Valencia are still in La Liga. He is an excellent shot-stopper but his passing needs improvement.
Alex Remiro, Real Sociedad
Alex Remiro had a decent 2022-23 La Liga for Real Sociedad. He registered 15 clean sheets, only behind Marc-Andre ter Stegen's 26 clean sheets. The 28-year-old made 100 saves, clocking a save percentage of 73.07% Remiro completed 803 out of 1,168 passes with a passing percentage of 68.75. The goalkeeper is very neat with his distribution and equally good at keeping out the shots.
Jeremias Ledesma, Cadiz
Cadiz finished 14th in the 2022-23 La Liga and they survived the fall only because of their strong defense which was led by goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma. Despite playing for a bottom-table team, Ledesma registered 12 clean sheets and made 135 saves (second-highest). He owned a save percentage of 73.77%. Ledesma is more of an old-fashioned goalkeeper, hence he clocked only 46.82% passing accuracy.
Unai Simon, Athletic Bilbao
Although he didn't have the best season for Athletic Bilbao in the 2022-23 La Liga, Unai Simon is still Spain's first-choice custodian. The 26-year-old excels at everything that he does between the sticks starting from shot-stopping, distribution and organizing the defence. Simon kept nine clean sheets last season while making 70 saves (save percentage: 65.42). He had a passing accuracy of 68.39%.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, FC Barcelona
Ter Stegen holds the La Liga joint record of 26 clean sheets in a season alongside Deportivo goalkeeper Paco Liano who achieved the feat in the 1993-94 season. The Barcelona goalkeeper was fantastic last season, recording an 82.35% save percentage in La Liga while making 84 saves. He clocked an 82.37% passing accuracy. He is excellent in the buildup but also an adept shot-stopper.
