Rubin Kazan did not receive an offer from Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur for highly-rated winger Kvicha Kvaratskhelia this summer, general director Rustem Saimanov tells RBC Sport.
They say father knows best.
But, two and a half months after Kvaratskhelia Sr insited that he was ‘100 per cent’ certain that the exciting Georgia international would leave Rubin during the transfer window, one of the biggest talents in Russian football is still plying his trade at the space-age Kazan Arena.
Sometimes, there is smoke without fire.
Kvaratskhelia’s agent claimed that the likes of Brighton, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham had all expressed an interest in the dynamic 20-year-old, via Sportal.
The man himself, meanwhile, admitted that he had held talks regarding a potential move to Leeds United back in June.
Though while there was no shortage of interest, it seems that concrete offers were in short supply for a man who’s dazzling wing play has led to comparisons with Bayern Munich legends Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.
What next for Kvicha Kvaratskhelia?
“Khvicha stays with Rubin for the time being. There was no offer from Tottenham,” Saimanov explains.
In truth, Spurs’ interest appeared to die down once Bryan Gil – another left-footed left-winger – put pen to paper with the London giants. Leeds, meanwhile, brought in Junior Firpo from Barcelona to reinforce their left-hand flank.
Everton were also linked with Kvaratskhelia but, according to sporting director Marcel Brands, it was his agent who approached the Toffees rather than the other way around.
Such a statement makes you wonder whether Tottenham, Wolves and Brighton were genuinely interested in the former Dinamo Tibilsi youngster or whether they were merely sounded out as potential destinations by an agent desperate to secure his client a big-money move to the Premier League.
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