Antonio Conte has revealed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has asked to leave Napoli, as Paris Saint-Germain work on a deal to sign the Georgia international. (More Football News)
🍃Kvaratskhelia has been a revelation since arriving from Dinamo Batumi in 2022, helping Napoli win their first Scudetto since the Diego Maradona era in his first season in Italy.
🌟The winger scored 12 goals and laid on 10 assists as the Partenopei ran away with the Serie A title in 2022-23, though a miserable 2023-24 campaign saw them go through three head coaches and finish 10th in the Italian top flight.
꧟Kvaratskhelia has provided eight goal involvements in Serie A this term (five goals, three assists), though, with Napoli back in title contention under Conte.
🐠Only six players in the division have bettered his 28 chances created, while he has attempted the fourth-most dribbles in the competition (67).
🦄However, the 23-year-old has continued to be linked with a big-money move and reports on Saturday suggested he had agreed personal terms with Ligue 1 champions PSG.
🉐Having left Kvaratskhelia out of Napoli's squad for Sunday's clash with Verona, Conte was asked about the wideman's future at Saturday's pre-match press conference.
ℱ"I will answer, I have never shied away from uncomfortable questions. If I speak, it is because I tell the truth, otherwise I prefer to remain silent. I don't like to tell lies," he said.
👍"We are talking about an important player. This summer, I demanded that some players be confirmed and among them was Khvicha.
🧜"He had asked to be sold and he was not the only one. Then we moved on, but you forget things too easily.
𓂃"Six months ago, I had to convince the players I considered fundamental for this project to stay, but many wanted to take other paths."
🎐Conte was not upbeat regarding Napoli's chances of replacing the Georgian, saying: "Honestly, I haven't seen profiles that can replace him.
☂"It's too fresh, a bolt from the blue. Today I am very focused on Verona.
🔜"Today, the most important thing is not buying or selling, neither outgoings nor incomings, but tomorrow's match. It's three points.
🥀"No evaluations have been made because Kvara is now a Napoli player. Then tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or on January 31, we will see.
🐎"It is inevitable that the situation will be monitored. It is right to leave it to the club, the player and his entourage. I did what I had to do. In fact, maybe I did too much."
🍨Since his arrival in Serie A in 2022, Kvaratskhelia ranks fifth for goal involvements in the competition (47), second for chances created (145) and first for both dribbles attempted (482) and completed (196).
