Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has seen his market value fall well below £18 million after a summer move to Leeds United or Tottenham Hotspur failed to materialise, agent Timur Gurtskaya has explained on the Comment Live YouTube channel.
In the case of the 20-year-old Georgia international, it seems Rubin Kazan were determined to strike while the iron was hot.
Or, to put it a better way, sell while the winger was flying.
The Russian giants wanted £18 million on the back of Kvaratskhelia’s breakthrough 2020/21 campaign, one in which he produced 12 goals and assists in 23 games, earning comparisons with Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.
And Kvaratskhelia himself admitted he held talks with Leeds regarding a potential switch to Elland Road.
Tottenham had been mentioned as a possible destination too – much to the amusement of his Rubin Kazan teammates.
Four or five months later and all the clamour and speculation appears to have disappeared – along with Kvaratskhelia’s form.
Could Kvaratskhelia still end up at Leeds United or Tottenham?
“Nobody signs Khvicha. His price is steadily falling,” Gurtskaya says of a man who has scored just once in ten games this season.
“They asked for €20 million because, in the spring, he was on fire. Everyone then shouted that any English team would buy him, given they were scattering €30 million to €40 million to the left and to the right.
“But, in fact, no-one took him. Now he plays badly. Now, no-one will pay more than €10 million to €12 million.”
Tottenham certainly appear to be out of the race as things stand, signing another mop-haired, left-footed left-winger in the shape of Spanish schemer Bryan Gil.
There’s no obvious place for Kvaratskhelia at Leeds either these days, with Dan James relegating Jack Harrison to the bench for Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Watford.
Marcel Brands, meanwhile, distanced Everton from the discussion when the Toffees were linked in April.
Has the ship sailed for Kvaratskhelia? Not necessarily. A return to the gossip columns, however, will only go hand in hand with a return to form.
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