Manchester United are reportedly set to battle it out with fellow Premier League sides Chelsea and Liverpool in the race to sign Napoli cult hero and Champions League sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
According to 90min, Manchester United are one of the top Premier League clubs keeping tabs on the performances of Napoli midfielder Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is also a transfer target for Chelsea and Liverpool.
Kvaratskhelia arrived in Naples in July after a €10 million purchase from Georgian side Dinamo Batumi, having previously played with Russia’s Rubin Kazan before the invasion of Ukraine allowed foreign players to leave.
With eight goals and ten assists in 17 starts across all competitions so far this season, Kvaratskhelia has been one of the most potent attacking weapons in Europe and has taken Italian football by storm, transforming Napoli into a title contender.
He has been nothing short of a revelation and has earned the title of “Kvaradona” from Napoli fans, which is no mean feat given Diego Maradona is an absolute legend, almost next to god in Naples. He has been just as spectacular in the Champions League, collecting both a goal and an assist in back-to-back wins over Ajax.
He was also the star man as Napoli thrashed Liverpool 4-1 in the Champions League back in September, and not surprisingly, the Reds, along with other top Premier League clubs, including Manchester United and Chelsea, are keeping a close eye on the left winger ahead of a potential approach for his services in the future.
Liverpool, for one, learned firsthand how lethal the 21-year-old can be, as he took Trent Alexander-Arnold to the cleaners time and again in their Champions League group stage encounter.
The inevitable talk since then has been that he could be the club’s next major signing, maybe Mohamed Salah’s ideal long-term replacement. In that regard, he would be following in the footsteps of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, who earned transfers after a personal audition in front of Klopp.
However, the Reds will face competition from archrivals Manchester United for his signature. With Jadon Sancho yet to find his feet since his big-money move from Borussia Dortmund last year, a move for Kvaratskhelia can be worth a consideration from Erik ten Hag’s side in order to add more firepower to the frontline, especially following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are competing for every hot name in the transfer market ever since the arrival of new owners. The Blues are looking for elite wingers if their pursuit of Rafael Leao is anything to go by. Kvaratskhelia’s electrifying pace and power on the wing have caught the eye and could be a perfect alternative if Leao’s pursuit falls through.
Napoli have made a tremendous investment, and his stock should only increase if the Partenopei club goes on to lift the Scudetto. They have no reason to sell and are looking to keep him around for another year, with a bumper deal on the cards. It’s safe to say, in the modern market, the Kvaratskelia could easily cost towards the north of €100 million, or even more when Aurelio de Laurentiis is the negotiator on the other side.
