Serie A strugglers Napoli are determined not to lose standout forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the coming weeks. New manager Antonio Conte spoke to the press in a last-ditch attempt to clarify the Georgian’s future amidst intense speculation linking him with Paris Saint-Germain.
“The president told me he [Kvaratskhelia] was gonna stay, and if this is the case, I’m very happy,” Conte said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano. “Kvaratskhelia and [Giovanni] Di Lorenzo are key parts of our project.”
Conte’s statement follows the news of PSG’s mega-money offer for Victor Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia. Les Parisiens have allegedly prepared a mind-blowing €200 million bid to sign the Napoli duo after parting ways with Kylian Mbappe.
While Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is open to selling the Nigerian striker, he has deemed the 23-year-old winger non-transferable. However, Kvaratskhelia’s agent threw his Partenopei future in doubt during the group stages of EURO 2024.
He was adamant the former Dinamo Batumi star should leave Napoli to continue his development in the Champions League. Conte’s side will not feature in European football next season following an abysmal 10th-place finish in Serie A last term.
But as Conte bids to turn the club’s fortunes around, Napoli are desperate to scare off Kvaratskhelia’s suitors. He’s supposed to be a centerpiece of Conte’s revolution, with De Laurentiis reassuring his new coach the Georgian won’t leave this summer.
The player has been silent so far. Napoli are reportedly willing to offer him a new deal, yet negotiations have hit a standstill.
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