Badri Kvaratskhelia, the father of new Napoli star Khvicha, has revealed that there has been no talk of a new contract for the Georgian winger, nor is the 21-year-old worried about speculation linking him with a move away from Italy.
The Georgia international has been a revelation since joining the Serie A side from Dinamo Batumi in the summer, scoring seven goals and supplying eight assists in 15 competitive matches so far in 2022/23, linking him with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain.
Napoli are reportedly offering a new contract with the inclusion of a buyout clause worth €75 million, but as his father said on Georgian television, no such proposals have been made to Kvaratskhelia, and the winger is happy with the environment he is in for now.
“Nobody has spoken to us about a contract,” Kvaratskhelia Snr told Imedi TV.
“In this phase, Khvicha is not thinking about it, he thinks only about playing. Khvicha is informed about the transfer rumours, but it does not affect him at all.
“There are no [segregated] groups in the team, there is unity. He feels like he is in a friendly atmosphere. [Coach] Luciano Spalletti has an excellent relationship with his players. Khvicha goes to training at 8 am. Around 2 pm he comes back and rests. He had a day off and we took a walk around town.”
Kvaratskhelia had no doubts about settling at Napoli
Not only has Khvicha Kvaratskhelia impressed with his dazzling displays on the left-wing for Napoli, he has also surprised Serie A fans and others alike with how quickly he has adapted to the Italian game.
However, his father was confident that he would thrive, and he would demonstrate his worth on the football pitch, not in the media.
“When you are in the stands of the [Stadio Diego Armando] Maradona and your surname is shouted by 60,000 fans, this feeling cannot be conveyed,” Badri Kvaratskhelia said.
“Especially when it comes to a footballer who comes from the Georgian league. I have always been convinced that Khvicha would be able to do well right from the start. He needs no introduction or too many words, he has shown what he can do.”
Will Napoli be able to hold onto Kvaratskhelia?
With his mesmerising skills giving nightmares to opposition defences, one wonders how long will Napoli hold on to Kvaratskhelia. At just 21 years of age, he is already producing world-class performances for the southern Italian club and it would be scary to think how dangerous he can be when he reaches his peak.
The Partenopei are on top of the Serie A table after 11 rounds and they have sealed their passage to the Round of 16 of the Champions League. If they do go on to win a trophy or two this season, surely it will be hard for them to retain the Georgian.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is not a man who is willing to give players a pay rise, and if an opposition club is willing to pay a lucrative transfer fee for a Partenopei player like Juventus did for Gonzalo Higuain in 2016, De Laurentiis will not be afraid to sell.
