Four cheaper alternatives to Chelsea & Real Madrid-target Kvaratskhelia

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 15 Mar 2023 18:06 GMT
• 5 min read

Napoli’s incredible season is well-documented. But as is the way of things in the current climate, those who thrive in divisions outside of the Premier League end up being linked there.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is being considered by Chelsea, as well as Real Madrid over in Spain. But their chances are slim. Napoli are extremely diligent in the market. A case in point is Kalidou Koulibaly, who was linked with a move away from the side regularly during all eight seasons he was with the Azzurri. In the end, they sold the defender last summer, aged 31, for €38 million.

Their otherbig sales include Gonzalo Higuain to Juventus for €90m and Edinson Cavani for €64.5m to PSG. If clubs want their squad members, they’re going to have to pay the full value - and then some.

READ MORE: Man Utd overtake Arsenal to battle Dortmund for Tielemans

As for a possible sale of Kvaratskhelia, the side also have Victor Osimhen among their ranks. And the attacker was reportedly liked by Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Real Madrid. The club will demand a record fee for the striker, probably near to €120m.

But where does this leave the winger?

Well, barring a late catastrophe, Napoli are set to win the Scudetto this season. And they will earn all the money that goes with that, including revenue for the Champions League. Napoli may also recoup a huge fee in the summer for the aforementioned Osimhen.

They, in short, could not be in a better position to keep hold of Kvaratskhelia, who’s contracted until the summer of 2027. If a club was to prise him away in the upcoming window, it’s expected to be closer to the €200m mark, so we’re talking PSG-Neymar levels or near enough to that.

It’s highly improbable any club will be willing to pay that. It’s unfeasible. But many clubs will want a player of a similar profile for the here and now. FootballTransfers have delved into SciSports data and sourced players who are parallel to 22-year-old Kvaratskhelia in terms of playing style and strengths but would come at a lower cost. We looked at a dribbler who likes to cut inside from the wing on their stronger foot like Kvaratskhelia, using a 70% similarity to the Georgian.

We also applied a top 10% filter for dribbles into the box and positioning in the final third, which is something Kvaratskhelia is exceptional at. We also used a speed filter of ‘at least relatively fast’ - and applied a threshold of having to be under €50m ETV. Results showed that four names came up as sound alternatives to Kvaratskhelia.

Samuel Chukwueze - Villarreal

Although he is left-footed and plays mostly right-wing, Samuel Chukwueze is a very similar overall profile to Kvaratskhelia. The attacker took his goal involvements for the 2022-2023 campaign to 10 goals and 10 assists so far - marking his best-ever term in Spain. A rising talent and with his contract up in 2024, the Nigerian will be one to watch for the summer, with FootballTransfers valuing the 23-year-old at just €18.4m.

There has been no indication of renewal or even talks about the prospect of it so far between the 23-year-old and the Yellow Submarine.

Kaoru Mitoma - Brighton

As our writer Sam McGuire points out, Kaoru Mitoma has been a real gem for the club that seems to keep churning out talent on a whim. The Japanese star is already Premier League quality but Brighton are no mugs in the market and Tony Bloom will demand a big fee to sell to a rival in the league.

Mitoma has accrued 52 shot-creating actions this season already, along with six goals and two assists in 19 games.

Where the real juice is, though, is his 5.74 progressive carries and 2.49 successful take-ons per 90. A club that enjoys the high press will also be drawn to his 2.04 tackles in the same time. But similar to Napoli and the possible departure of Osimhen, any sale of Moises Caicedo would bolster Brighton’s funds for the window - and you can compound this with any potential sale of World Cup-winner Alexis Mac Allister.

Steven Bergwijn - Ajax

Steven Bergwijn’s underlying numbers are great this season at Ajax. He is thriving back in Holland and, indeed, shares a lot of similarities to Kvaratskhelia. He has rich Premier League experience and is capable on his day.

Perhaps not one to be sniffed at - but with a contract at Ajax until 2027, it’s one that will prove hard to do. Bergwijn may represent a move that comes for a side hoping for a direct impact in the division, but they may be cautious about his capacious spell with Tottenham.

Edon Zhegrova -Lille

Edon Zhegrova is a raw talent but he’s been putting up very impressive numbers for Lille this campaign. There’s a lot of promise there. In fact, there were tentative reports of an offer from Arsenal last summer, but nothing came of it. The winger has played 901 minutes of football this season, scoring three goals and providing three assists. Indeed, the 23-year-old is still a bit of a squad player at Lille and is yet to break through properly and realise his full potential.

The quality is there, but it would take some moulding. Zhegrova also represents a very cheap alternative to Kvaratskhelia, his ETV being €13m according to our algorithm.