When the season started, no one expected Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to play the way he has for Napoli, which has reportedly caught the eye of clubs like Newcastle United and Real Madrid.
The Georgia international has scored 10 goals and assisted another 11 in Serie A to date, and continue that form in the Champions League, with two goals and three assists in five games there.
Napoli only paid €10m to get him, but that valuation has now shot through the roof, with many believing that clubs such as Newcastle could need up to 10x that to convince the Serie A side to sell.
However, it appears that this isn’t something Aurelio De Laurentiis has to worry about with his latest find, with journalist Ciro Venerato telling Domenica Sportiva, relayed by TuttoNapoli, that any attempt from the likes of Newcastle or Real Madrid would be rebuffed by the player himself.
He said: “There is optimism for the renewal. The boy wants to stay at Napoli, he communicated this to Giuntoli, Spalletti and his entourage. In spite of Real Madrid and Newcastle, Napoli will certainly restart with Kvara next year.
“This is the offer that De Laurentiis will make at the end of the season to the player who earns €1.2m. Napoli will pay him a fixed €2.5m plus a series of rich bonuses that will allow the boy to earn a lot, extending his contact by another year. So, no longer four, but another five years with Kvara without a release clause.”
Such a renewal would certainly be a blow for interested sides, among which Newcastle seem to be, but with Napoli currently well on course to win Serie A, it’s no surprise to see the Georgian want to remain there a bit longer before taking the next step in his career, wherever that may end up being.
