Txiki bid? Man City eye move for 'Kvaradona'

Stuart Telford

• 2 Mar 2023 10:03 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester City are reportedly weighing up a move for Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with Pep Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain impressed with the Georgian winger.

City are set for a busy summer as they look to retool their squad having been run so close by Arsenal for their Premier League title this season.

City sold Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko to the Gunners for a combined £77 million last summer, and also let Raheem Sterling leave for Chelsea in £47.5m deal.

READ: Arteta told Guardiola will 'never sell player to Arsenal again'

The sales of Jesus and Sterling have left the English champions relatively short in the wide attacking areas, even if they still have Jack Grealish, Riyadh Mahrez and Bernardo Silva on their books.

Begiristain and Guardiola have been busy strategizing for next season, and have reportedly settled on Kvaratskhelia as a key transfer target.

"Manchester City have looked, Newcastle have looked," CBS Sports Golazo journalist and FootballTransfers collaborator Ben Jacobs said on a Twitter space.

"[But it's] really difficult to get anyone away from Napoli, though, because they're flying at the moment, but who knows, the summer might be a different situation."

READ: Revealed: Napoli's asking price for Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia

'Kvaradona'

Napoli are currently closing on a first Serie A title in 33 years, with Kvaratskhelia contributing a league-best nine assists as well as 10 goals to their charge.

Some sources have reported that Napoli could ask for up to €150m for Kvaratskhelia, although it is unlikely the cub would break the transfer record they set with the £100m Grealish the summer before last.

Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis says he is under no pressure to sell player who still has a five-year contract at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, though.

"I am very good at making contracts, so when they come to me, they are blocked, so keeping them here won't be difficult," he said.

"However, never say never. Sometimes there are offers you can't refuse, so you never know. To me, we'll see them shine for a long time."