Antonio Conte has confirmed in a press conference that Napoli forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has asked to leave the club this month and in spite of the manager’s best efforts, the Georgian international remains keen on pursuing a new challenge for the remainder of 2024/25 and beyond.
Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain have been among those heavily linked with a move for the player with RMC Sport (h/t The Standard) reporting that Chelsea are prepared to rival the two clubs for Kvaratskhelia. Napoli’s asking price is set at £67 million, a figure that PSG are unlikely to be able to pay immediately unless a big sale is made.
Liverpool have been frugal spenders in the last few years and as a result, they have no Financial Fair Play guidelines to be worried about. Chelsea’s expenditure remains under scrutiny but the Blues don’t seem to be too fazed by it and are willing to undertake a major spending on a superb player.
Chelsea move likeliest for Kvaratskhelia
Paris Saint-Germain could get rid of Milan Skriniar and Randal Kolo Muani in the upcoming days but it remains to be seen if both departures yield enough cash for them to afford Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Moreover, it also remains to be seen if the Napoli star is prepared to leave the Serie A for a far inferior league, especially as PSG no longer have an attractive sporting project either.
The Premier League has a different allure compared to the Ligue 1 and Serie A, both, while Chelsea also have the means to match PSG’s offer to Napoli as well as to Kvaratskhelia. Their interest in the 23-year-old is far from a surprise as he is one of Europe’s most promising young players and will fit in like a sock in the team’s dynamic attack.
Liverpool are likely to monitor the situation from afar as their priority is likely to close out a new deal for Mohamed Salah. Though the Egyptian has hinted that these are his final few months at Anfield, no official intimation has been made by either part as yet so there is possibly something going on behind the scenes to come to a mutual consensus.
The Reds, as a result, could wait until the summer before committing to a transfer as grand as Kvaratskhelia’s, in terms of impact as well as expenditure. Chelsea need some fresh feet in their final third with most of their wingers underperforming and the Napoli man will be a terrific addition, having been described as a ‘very quick’ player by Jurgen Klopp.
January’s transfer window has delivered very little so far although the next 20 days will be crucial in deciding the future of one of the continent’s biggest names and an exciting race ensues.
