Man Utd eyeing Kvaratskhelia after Klopp comments as Napoli stance outlined
Manchester United are set to head back into the transfer market in January in a bid to solve the current winger crisis at Old Trafford.
Having made five new signings this summer, Erik ten Hag could have been forgiven for thinking he'd finalised his squad for the 2023/24 season, only to be hit by a dramatic series of events this month. Jadon Sancho's future remains up in the air after he was axed from the squad against Arsenal, prompting a public war of words between player and manager.
And Brazilian £80million man Antony has since been stood down by the club for the foreseeable future as he deals with allegations of domestic violence against him - claims which he denies. Young Ivorian forward Amad, meanwhile, who impressed on loan at Sunderland last season, remains sidelined with a knee injury picked up in pre-season.
Unless harmony can be reached with Sancho this week, 21-year-old Facundo Pellistri looks set to start out wide against Brighton on Saturday. But the club have already formulated a more long-term solution.....
United's interest
Erik ten Hag has now turned his attention to highly rated Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian star struck 14 times in Serie A last season and was pivotal in the club winning Serie A.
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According to the Daily Mail, United are one of a number of Premier League clubs pursuing the player, with Newcastle having also been linked in the summer and Manchester City and Liverpool previously expressing interest. However, getting a permanent deal over the line in January could prove to be a difficult task for the Red Devils.
United are seemingly unable to buy big again until they raise funds amid FFP restrictions. Therefore, similar to the policy adopted in signing Sofyan Amrabat, Ten Hag is likely to initially pursue a loan deal.
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Jurgen Klopp has lavished praise on the player (PA)Klopp's verdict
Ten Hag would no doubt have noted the verdict of Jurgen Klopp last season after the Italian club took on Liverpool twice in the Champions League group stages.
"He [Kvaratskhelia] is really good, the boy, and really quick and you have to defend him together in these moments," said Klopp, after the two sides had met at Anfield. "When he has the advantage of the first movement, then he is already gone.
"You have to try to be there in the moment when the ball arrives, but if you cannot do that then you need to be protected because he has speed, he is cheeky, he goes inside, he can go outside, that makes it always really difficult."
Napoli stance
Another potential stumbling block in United's pursuit - and a sizeable one - is Napoli's reluctance to sell.
Last November, Kvaratskhelia's agent Christian Emile implied it would take an extortionate fee for the Scudetto winners to even consider selling, given he still has four years left to run on his current deal. He said: “For me, if he continues to perform like this until the end of the season and does it again next season, because I don't see Napoli selling him now
"There's a 0% chance [in January]. But if he continues as he is doing now until the end of the season and replicates the same for next season, he will reach €100m (£86.7m) for sure."
Kvaratskhelia's plan
In what is potentially a further blow to United's pursuit, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's dad has insisted the Napoli youngster is not focused on securing a Premier League transfer in the near future.
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Speaking late last year, Badri Kvaratskhelia told Imedi TV there had been no discussions over a move: "He's not focused on Premier League links or a new contract, at all - and no one told us of new deal negotiations."
The player himself is yet to publicly speak on speculation. However, he currently appears happy in Italy, having been awarded the Serie A MVP award last season, and the Champions League young player of the season.
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