Chelsea have recently been linked with a swoop for Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and a reliable journalist has now delivered the chances of him joining in January.
Kvaratskhelia profiled
Kvaratskhelia is naturally a left-winger who has plied his trade at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium since last summer having joined from Dinamo Batumi where he’s so far gone on to make a total of 61 senior appearances to date (Transfermarkt – Kvaratskhelia statistics).
The Georgia international still has just under four years remaining on his deal in the Serie A (Napoli contracts), but that hasn’t stopped chiefs from wanting to keep an eye on his displays considering the outstanding form he’s been in since the start of the season.
Walter Mazzarri’s 22-year-old has established himself as his overall best-performing player so far this term with a match rating of 7.49 (WhoScored – Napoli statistics), with his impressive form seeing him being brought onto the radar at Stamford Bridge.
Back in November, ESPN reported that Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino were one of the clubs chasing the attacker, alongside the likes of Premier League rivals Manchester City, Newcastle, Barcelona and Real Madrid, but if the following update is to be believed, it sounds like a move won’t be taking place anytime soon.
Chelsea not set to sign Kvaratskhelia
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano revealed that while Chelsea are admirers of Kvaratskhelia, there are not in any ongoing discussions to sign him. Quoted by Football Transfers, he said:
“From what I am hearing, Chelsea have not started any kind of contact for Kvaratskhelia. Not on the player’s side and not with Napoli, so the situation is completely quiet.
“Nothing is going to happen in January because Kvaratskhelia is not for sale in the January transfer window, and for Napoli, with the dangerous situation with Victor Osimhen, their idea is to keep Kvaratskhelia. At the moment, between Chelsea and Kvaratskhelia, there is absolutely nothing concrete in terms of negotiations or talks.
Kvaratskhelia’s impact in the final third
During his time at Napoli, Kvaratskhelia has posted 40 contributions, 22 assists and 18 goals, in 61 appearances (Transfermarkt – Kvaratskhelia statistics), but even if the end product isn’t always there, he’s constantly posing a threat to the opposition’s defence.
Sponsored by Nike, the two-footed talent currently ranks in the 97th percentile for progressive carries (FBRef – Kvaratskhelia statistics), highlighting his desire to push his team as high up the pitch as possible to create chances for himself and his fellow teammates in the final third.
Mazzarri’s £25k-per-week earner (Napoli salaries), is even a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the grass since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and as an attacking midfielder.
Furthermore, Kvaratskhelia has received plenty of individual recognition in the past having been named Napoli’s Player of the Year and Georgia’s Football of the Year on three separate occasions, so Chelsea could be making a mistake by not pursuing a deal for the forward in January.
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