Napoli Want EPL Winger As Replacement For Exit Bound Kvaratskhelia

Written By Onyeka Daniel

Yesterday, Antonio Conte confirmed the rumors that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had asked to leave Napoli, joining Victor Osimhen as the other big player that would be leaving the club. While their intentions had been well established in advance, the Partenopei delayed the moves and could miss out on a lot of money.

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After they won the Scudetto in 2023, but Luciano Spalletti left and their next season was a disaster, going through several coaches and finishing 10th in Serie A, failing to qualify for Europe. The club hired Conte and hoped his arrival would be enough to convince their star names to remain.

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Though it seems this was a doomed approach from the start.Osimhen made it very clear in pre-season that he intended to leave Napoli and did not take part in any pre-season friendly matches, eventually failing to find a suitable buyer by deadline day. Stuck in a no-win situation, Osimhen was loaned to Galatasaray.

This is because of the fact that the Turkish transfer market was still open, with the hope he would not further lose value and be able to find a club willing to invest. As for Kvaratskhelia, there had been multiple reports in the summer that he too had asked to leave, but that Conte demanded at least one of their star men remain.

This allowed negotiations to continue over a new contract. In his statements to DAZN recently, the coach effectively confirmed this was true, confessing that he had hoped to convince the Georgia international into changing his mind. “I spoke about disappointment not towards the player, not towards the club.

“But towards myself, because in six months I failed to change the situation. I do not say Kvara or the club let me down, I always take responsibility for my actions, I don’t put it on someone else,” said Conte. “I thought I could have a different impact in these six months, but I realised we were right back where we started from.

“I want to make that clear, because I saw some headlines today saying ‘Conte let down by Kvara.’ I am not let down by Kvara. “I believe a coach should help a club to make decisions and advise on what players to sign. When I realise that I was unable to make a difference here, that is my disappointment.

“I take nothing from Khvicha, he’s a good lad, but everyone has to decide their own destiny, just as the club has to make its decisions. Maybe I was a little presumptuous, because I thought that I could have a stronger impact. I couldn’t do it. It’s a pity, because this is a great player, but we also have to accept reality.”

If Napoli had been open to selling Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen together last summer, Paris Saint-Germain were reportedly ready to pay €200m for the pair in a package deal. Now PSG are hoping to pay no more than €55m for Kvara, while Osimhen’s value has dropped.

He initially had a €120m release clause, but now they will probably get around €75m for him in the summer. Also, the club will have to think of a replacement for Kvaratskhelia and they’re looking to the EPL for a player with similar playing style, with Conte said to have a huge say in whoever the club will eventually sign.

Consequently, they’re prepared to offer Manchester United a sum of €45m for Argentina talent Alejandro Garnacho according to recent reports, but the Premier League side value the 20-year-old much higher. Reports over the weekend suggested that Garnacho is Conte’s preferred replacement.

While David Neres has impressed for Napoli in Kvaratskhelia’s absence, the Partenopei are still hoping to strengthen their attacking unit when the Georgian leaves in order to keep their Serie A title fight alive. According to reports from Alfredo Pedulla, Napoli have already offered a fee of €45m with bonuses included.

Specifically, the offer is made up of €40m plus €5m in bonuses. United, however, value their player in the region of €60m, which leaves room for the two clubs to negotiate. Pedulla adds that there is a chance that United lower their asking price, but warns that Napoli have several other targets in sight too.

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This means that they’re prepared to walk away if they are unable to reach an agreement. Garnacho has not been a consistent starter since Ruben Amorim’s arrival. Though he started in the 2-1 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup, the youngster did not start in any of the team’s six previous matches in the EPL and Europa League.

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