Chelsea ready to compete with Liverpool for the signing of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Antonio Conte has confirmed at press conference Napoli striker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has asked to leave the club this month and, despite the manager's best efforts, the Georgian international remains interested in 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 reports (h/t The Standard) that Chelsea They are prepared to rival the two clubs for Kvaratskhelia. Napoli's asking price is set at £67m, a figure PSG are unlikely to be able to pay immediately unless a big sale is made.
Liverpool have spent frugally in recent years and as a result have no financial fair play guidelines to worry about. Chelsea's spending remains under scrutiny, but the Blues don't seem too fazed and are willing to spend heavily on an excellent player.
Chelsea move most likely for Kvaratskhelia
Paris Saint-Germain could offload Milan Skriniar and Randal Kolo Muani in the coming days, but it remains to be seen if both departures net them enough cash to afford Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Furthermore, it also remains to be seen if the Napoli star is willing to leave Serie A for a much lower league, especially since PSG no longer has an attractive sporting project either.
He first division has a different appeal compared to Ligue 1 and Serie A, while Chelsea also have the means to match PSG's offer to Napoli and Kvaratskhelia. Their interest in the 23-year-old comes as no surprise as he is one of the most promising young players in Europe and will fit like a sock into the team's dynamic attack.
Liverpool are likely to monitor the situation from afar as their priority is likely to be striking a new deal for Mohamed Salah. Although the Egyptian has hinted that these are his final months at Anfield, neither party has made any official indication as of yet, so there is possibly something going on behind the scenes to reach a mutual consensus.
As a result, the Reds could wait until the summer before committing to a transfer as large as that of Kvaratskhelia, both in terms of impact and expenditure. Chelsea need some fresh feet in their final third as most of their wingers are underperforming and the Napoli man will be an excellent addition as he has been described as a Jurgen Klopp's 'very fast' player.
The January transfer window has yielded 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 lies ahead.
