Napoli greenlight Kvaratskhelia transfer: 'We'll get over it'

Tom Weber

Updated: 21 Oct 2024 15:21 BST
3 min read

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis accepts the fact that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia may not want to extend his contract.

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The Georgian winger has become one of Serie A's biggest stars in recent years. In 2022/23, 'Kvaradona' led Napoli to their first Scudetto in over 30 years, becoming a club legend in the process.

Yet since then, the relationship between Kvaratskhelia's camp and Napoli has been strained. Both his agent and his father have quite publically claimed that the 23-year-old wants to leave Naples, while the club are trying to get him to agree to a new contract.

The attacker has so far been an important part of Antonio Conte's side, but reports at the beginning of the month claimed that negotiations over fresh terms were not making any progress.

Now, Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis has addressed the matter, insisting that the Serie A side 'will get over it' should the player decide to leave the club.

De Laurentiis on Kvaratskhelia

Napoli are the sole leaders of Serie A after claiming a 1-0 victory over Empoli on Sunday, with Kvaratskhelia scoring the decisive penalty that sealed all three points.

Speaking after the match, De Laurentiis said of the player's contract situation: "The players who are with us will stay in Naples as long as we want them to. What if Kvara does not renew and then leaves? We will get over it.

"There have been previous cases, we have never had a problem with it. It is important to respect the will of the players, who must also respect our investments."

In the summer, PSG attempted to recruit Kvaratskhelia, while Arsenal have also been linked with the player since his Scudetto-winning breakout season. With his comments, De Laurentiis has essentially told suitors that the Georgian will be available on the market.