Napoli coach Luciano Spalletti sees shades of Mo Salah in Serie A star Kvicha Kvaratskhelia with Premier League leaders Arsenal keeping tabs on the Georgia international’s stunning development, speaking to Football Italia.
When former England, AC Milan and Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello highlighted the similarities between Kvaratskelia and Liverpool’s number 11 last summer, eyebrows were raised quicker than Carlo Ancelotti auditioning for a Cadbury’s advert.
But now, with half a season of outstanding performances in one of Europe’s major leagues under his belt, even some Liverpool fans would probably be tempted to trade-in their misfiring Egyptian for a man lovingly nicknamed ‘Kvaradona’ by the famously impassioned Partenopei fanbase.
Arsenal reportedly like Napoli talisman Kvicha Kvaratskhelia
“He has sensitivity in his dribbling, caressing the ball. Bringing in those feints that are so difficult to defend against,” says Spalletti; Kvaratskhelia tying the Cremonese defence up in knots on route to another sublime solo goal this weekend.
“Mo Salah is one of those guys who has this quality in the tight spaces and in finishing so precisely. He doesn’t feel the pressure. You can see that (Kvaratskhelia) is a quiet boy. He will have a great future.”
Kvaraskhelia, plying his trade in Georgia just last year, is averaging better than one goal contribution per game at present. In 23 matches since joining runaway Serie A leaders Napoli, he has 11 goals and 14 assists.
90Min believe that Arsenal have identified Kvaratskhelia as a potential alternative to Mykhaylo Mudryk; missing out on their top January target to a bitter London rival. The Gunners, however, would likely have to part with a fee similar to the one Chelsea paid for the former Shakhtar Donetsk talisman.
“I sent a message to (Napoli owner Aurelio) De Laurentiis congratulating him,” says former Juventus director Luciano Moggi.
“(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.”
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