€100m Kvaratskhelia deal CLOSE

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is close to completing a €100 million transfer away from Napoli this January, with the deal accelerating in recent hours.

Three clubs have primarily been linked with the Georgia international winger: Liverpool, Chelsea and PSG. Man Utd are also said to have been in contact over a transfer.

Rumours that Kvaratskhelia could complete an unexpected move this winter built quickly on Thursday following the news that the Ligue 1 leaders are hot on his trail, and they are set to strike the first major blow in this transfer race as they are close to having an agreement with Napoli over a transfer fee for the winger.

While Kvaratskhelia’s transfer fee was expected to be in the region of €80 million, But reports that PSG are willing to pay a total package of €100m for the player, with up to €20m in bonuses.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentis and head coach Antonio Conte are both said to have given a thumbs up to a deal at this price.

There is no indication that Milan Skriniar will be part of this particular deal, with the centre-back having been touted as a potential makeweight in this transfer. Tottenham and Aston Villa also hold an interest in the defender, who is expected to leave this month.

What will happen now?

It remains to be seen if Liverpool or Chelsea are tempted to respond to PSG’s offer.

The Athletic indicated that the Reds would only move for Kvaratskhelia if they thought they were getting value for money for the player. He has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €72.3m, so an initial fee of €80m may not be considered outlandish from the Anfield club.

Chelsea, meanwhile, seem to simply be monitoring his situation at present while they wait for the Mykhailo Mudryk case to resolve. Head coach Enzo Maresca has already indicated that he wants defensive reinforcements following injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile.

PSG, for the moment, are best placed to land Kvaratskhelia.