Kvicha Kvaratskhelia will not be sold by Napoli this summer despite contrary words from the player’s father over the past couple of days.
Kvaratskhelia Expected Remain In Italy
A tough 2023/24 Campaign In Naples
Kvaratskhelia has just completed his second season with Napoli, the 2022/23 Serie A champions producing the worst title defence the league has ever seen, finishing 10th, 41 points behind Inter and 37 points off their own 22/23 league-winning tally, a campaign where the attacker hit 12 goals and 13 assists and was also named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
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Much like Napoli’s struggles to retain their title, the Georgian winger also failed to reach his levels of two seasons ago, scoring 11 and assisting 8. A season to forget for both the player and the club.
Recent Revelations Over Kvaratskhelia’s Future
In recent days (as of June 17), rumblings over where the 23-year-old winger will be beyond this term have picked up. Fabrizio Romano via his official Youtube Channel revealed on June 16 that Paris Saint-Germain hold the “strongest” interest of any European club in wanting Kvaratskhelia’s signature, while the Italian journalist also revealed that Chelsea have sent scouts to watch the player, but with the Blues not competing in the Champions League this season, a deal to bring him to London seems unlikely.
Romano goes on to state that Napoli have an “important” contract proposal ready to present to the player should he end up wanting to stay beyond this summer, but the differing words from both his father and the club could present a very tricky situation going forward.
What Has Been Said About The Player
When one party states one thing and the other something different, the situation is bound to turn into a lengthy saga, and that is exactly what is happening with Kvaratskhelia. In the build-up to Georgia’s opening Euro 2024 match with Turkey – their first-ever major tournament – the player’s father, former Azerbaijan international Badri Kvaratskhelia – made his feelings known to Sport Imedi (via Romano), citing the managerial merry-go-round at Napoli as a reason for his beliefs:
“I don’t want Khvicha to stay in Napoli. He’s worked with four different coaches (Luciano Spalletti, Rudi Garcia, Walter Mazzari and Francesco Calzona) and this worries me a lot — he will decide [his future] for himself, although it’s uncomfortable for me. I haven’t talked to Khvicha about this topic, I’m not going to until the end of Euro 2024.”
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In response to this, Napoli then released a statement of their own reiterating their stance on the state of play, while also taking aim at Badri’s words: ” After Kvaratskhelia’s camp’s statement, we want to remind that he’s under contract until June 2027. Kvaratskhelia is NOT for sale. Player’s agents do NOT decide where they are going, but it’s Napoli deciding when they are under contract.”
After this war of words, it is no clearer exactly where Kvaratskhelia will be beyond this summer, but his situation will no doubt peak the interest of more elite European clubs as he has prior links to Manchester City among others, especially if he lights up the stage for Georgia at Euro 2024, where he will hope to lead his nation deep into the tournament.
