Which of the three interested clubs – Liverpool, Chelsea and PSG – Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia wants to join has been revealed, with the winger ‘sold on a move’ as early as last summer, according to a report.
Kvaratskhelia, 23, is a man in demand after opening the door to an exit from Napoli this month.
The Georgian ace wants to be rewarded with a new contract that more befits his superstar status. But with Napoli making it clear they cannot and will not match his demands, an exit overseas is now on the agenda.
Napoli’s price tag is €80m (£67m / $82.35m), though they are receptive to that figure being met with the aid of add-ons.
French giants PSG have quickly manoeuvred themselves into the position of favourites. However, The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported on January 9 that Premier League pair, Liverpool and Chelsea, are both attentive to the situation.
According to a fresh update from trusted reporter Ben Jacobs, Kvaratskhelia’s mind is made up. What’s more, the Georgian has known where he wants to move dating all the way back to last summer.
Taking to X, Jacobs wrote: “Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s preference is to join PSG, having been sold on a move last year.”
PSG initially registered their interest in the left winger last summer. At that point, the forward is understood to have informed PSG he ‘wanted to join’, though a move obviously did not come to pass.
PSG’s interest in Kvaratskhelia and his willingness to move to Paris have not subsided over the subsequent months.
As such, agreeing personal terms is not expected to be a problem for Luis Enrique’s side. That should not come as a surprise given Fabrizio Romano reported PSG are offering Kvaratskhelia “over four times” his current salary.
Romano stated direct club-to-club talks between Napoli and PSG have begun and Jacobs provided his take on the situation in his update.
“PSG exploring various formulas to see if a deal is possible,” added Jacobs. “Napoli’s asking price is €80m, but they are prepared to sell in January. This is a change from their summer stance.”
While not yet verified, reports in Italy claimed PSG’s intention is to offer just €45m as an opening gambit. A bid of that size is sure to be rejected by Napoli.
One way PSG have been linked with attempting to lower the cost is by either including centre-back Milan Skriniar as a makeweight or selling him to Napoli in a separate deal.
Napoli are open to signing Skriniar, though it’s understood they view his current wages in Paris as too expensive.