This will make the Parisians’ attack more balanced.
Of course, one of the main transfers of the winter will be the transfer of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Naples to PSG. The Georgian winger brightened up the traditionally dull January transfer picture. Even before the deal was officially announced, people wearing T-shirts could be seen on the streets of Paris. PSG with the name Kvaratskhelia and the number “7”. Fans PSG really delighted with the newcomer, who reminded us that the Parisian club still claims its place in the top.
In previous seasons, they could boast of having Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in their team. The current season is different in this regard – the club does not have an obvious star of the first magnitude. Of course, Khvicha cannot be compared to those we named above, but the spoiled pride of Parisian supporters will be amused by his transition.
Kvaratskhelia turns 24 next month and his current contract should be his peak. From a financial point of view, Khvicha definitely made the right decision. For him PSG paid 65 million euros, the contract is 4.5 years. The footballer’s salary is expected to increase significantly. In Naples he earned around 1.6 million euros and in Paris he will receive up to 7.5 million, according to information from the Frenchman. Media. This is almost the same amount as that demanded by the player’s agent during negotiations to extend his contract with Napoli. But the club was not ready to make such a deal.
Desire for coaching
Besides, Kvaratskhelia could have ended up in Paris last summer. Parisians head coach Luis Enrique saw the former Lokomotiv and Rubin player as an ideal replacement for Mbappé. If not in terms of playing style and way of acting, then at least in terms of maintaining balance in the attack. Now the game plan PSG seems “biased”, roughly speaking. Everything is built along the right flank, where Achraf Hakimi and Ousmane Dembélé lead the offensive activity. Additionally, Enrique somehow tries to shift the load, sometimes moving the latter toward the center. But this is less effective. And the other actors in the attack cannot maintain the same level of dynamics and actions. PSG in the field, they become more predictable and less acute. This is despite the considerable number of nominal attacking players.
After all, PSG There are wingers like Bradley Barcola, Désiré Douai, Lee Kang-in, and up front there are Randall Kolo Muani and Gonçalo Ramos. They are all missing something to create an adequate balance of activity between Dembélé and Hakimi. Barcola have made an encouraging start to the season, but have failed to score in their last ten matches. Douhet only took flight in December and Lee’s range of effectiveness is quite limited. At the same time, Ramouche cannot really gain a foothold and catch a productive wave, and Kolo Muani is frankly disappointing, and the club wants to part with one of the most expensive acquisitions.
In such conditions, Luis Enrique desperately needed a strong player on the right side of the attack. So that with an alert Ramouche and an active Dembélé, a striking trio could finally form. In addition, the Spanish coach insisted on acquiring Khvichi. For this reason PSG spent half of the season in an unbalanced state. After all, Napoli refused to let Khvicha leave for Paris last summer. Then, the Neapolitans still hoped to convince him to extend the contract, which expired in 2027. But already in the winter, it was understood that it was better to sell while the price was acceptable.
Meanwhile, Luis Enrique was tempted by other options. For example, it is known that Marcus Rashford from Manchester United was offered and the opportunity arose to sign Karim Adeyemi. And in August last year in the access zone PSG Even Jadon Sancho and Rafael Leau were present. But Enrique rejected all these options, trying to wait for Khvicha. And he achieved his goal.
For the Spaniard, Kvaratskhelia’s candidacy is ideal because he is already a fairly experienced and high-ranking player, but at the same time there is room for polishing and improving some aspects of the game. Luis Enrique loves it. Khvicha does not have characteristics similar to Mbappé, but he will certainly significantly expand the range of possibilities. PSG in attack. Now, all the creative threat will not come from Dembele’s zone with Hakimi. The unpredictability of the attacks will increase considerably.
Expectation
They will not expect several dozen goals from Khvicha per season, as Mbappe did, but Kvaratskhelia’s advantages lie in something completely different – in creating sharpness, and not necessarily for himself, but for the entire attacking group. He left Italy after making 191 appearances for Napoli, scoring 46 goals and providing 48 assists in all competitions. And it is difficult to count how many dangerous and scoring chances the team created thanks to Khvicha’s actions.
His contribution to the Naples championship is invaluable. The player, transferred for 13.3 million euros from Dynamo Batumi to the Neapolitan club, was not known outside. CIS. But in the first season, in 34 matches in the Italian championship, Khvicha scored 12 goals and made 13 assists, which helped the team win the title for the first time in 33 years, and the winger himself- even received the title of Quaradona. And then there was recognition as the best footballer in Serie A, the best young player of the season in the Champions League. In a word, Khvicha climbed to the top quite quickly. Although the next 18 months weren’t as brilliant. But here questions arise, including for the team as a whole. Kvaratskhelia is now taking a new step in her career, at another level, in another position. And it should be a thriving time. It will be interesting to watch.
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