Reported Arsenal target Kvicha Kvaratskhelia is now worth ‘more’ than the £88 million Chelsea paid for Mykhaylo Mudryk following a remarkable debut season at Serie A leaders Napoli, former Juventus director Luciano Moggi tells Radio Kiss Kiss.
The last time Juventus conceded five goals in a Serie A match, Max Allegri was scoring for an already-relegated Pescara during a thumping 5-1 win all the way back in 1993. 30 years on, Allegri found himself on the receiving end; Juventus’ eight-game winning run snapped in sensational style by a Napoli side gracing the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona with a performance befitting of the great man himself.
Is there a more exhilarating forward partnership in Europe right now than that of Victor Osimhen and Kvicha Kvaratskhelia? The Nigerian and the Georgian dovetailed to devastating effect as Napoli moved nine points clear over the weekend; Kvaratskhelia scoring one and setting up two in a display which may just add another digit to his rapidly-rising price-tag.
Arsenal could turn to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after Chelsea snatch Mudryk
“I sent a message to (Napoli owner Aurelio) De Laurentiis congratulating him on the victory. But, above all, on how he manages his club,” the one-time Juve chief; insisting that a player signed for just £9 million from Dinamo Batumi should now cost ‘more’ than the £88 million Chelsea paid for Mykhaylo Mudryk on Saturday.
“(Kvaratskhelia) he is obviously worth more than 100 million euros. If (Romelu) Lukaku costs that much, and he can’t control a ball, then those with technique must be worth more.”
Rather unwarranted Lukaku dig aside, Moggi has a point. Kvaratskhelia has scored almost as many goals in just a few months at Napoli (nine) than Mudryk has in his entire professional career, while notching a further 12 assists at Champions League and Serie A level.
And, with 90Min reporting that Arsenal are now in the process of identifying alternatives to top target Mudryk, no one should be surprised to see Kvaratskhelia feature high on Mikel Arteta’s wishlist.
‘Kvara is phenomenal’
Former Napoli striker Roberto Sosa believes Kvaratskhelia is currently ‘the best player in Europe’. Antonio Cassano is not going quite that far. But the one-time Italy international cannot see a finer footballer in Serie A than a man who held talks with Leeds United less than two years ago.
“This is a phenomenon. I saw Manchester City and (Jack) Grealish can’t even tie his left boot. Kvara is phenomenal!” Cassano raves.
“He defends, he assists. And now, he has consistency during the game that one does not expect. I hope for the Neapolitans that he will stay for a long time. But I think (Europe’s biggest clubs) will knock immediately to get him.”
90Min believe that Barcelona duo Raphinha and Ferran Torres are also on Arsenal’s radar. Kvaratskhelia’s form and output currently dwarves that of the Camp Nou duo, however.
“He is doing very well, as are many,” Napoli director Cristiano Guintoli insists.
“There is absolutely nothing in (reports suggesting we could sell). We are very happy, and we want to keep doing well. Is Kvaratskhelia off the market? Absolutely. He is not for sale.
“I repeat; we are not thinking about the transfer market right now. We try to grow day by day to see what we can achieve.”
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