Napoli, who are on the verge of losing Victor Osimhen (25) following the departure of Kim Min-Jae (27-Bayern Munich) last summer, are set to sign Hvitsa Kvarachelia (23) on a long-term deal. Kvarachelia has recently received offers from big clubs such as Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, but is expected to reject them in favor of staying at Napoli.
Italian media outlet Calciomercato reported on Monday (June 29), “Kabarachelia is on the verge of signing a new contract. After months, the two sides are close to reaching an agreement on a new contract.” “Napoli are ready to try to avoid losing Osimhen and Kvarachelia at the same time. While Osimhen’s stay is impossible, the club is ready to offer Kvarachelia a threefold increase in his weekly salary.”
Napoli, who won the Italian Serie A title for the first time in 33 years last season, lost key defender Kim Min-jae after the season. Napoli attempted to re-sign Kim, but Bayern Munich, who triggered his release clause (buyout), snatched him up. With Kim’s departure, Napoli’s defense plummeted, and they dropped to seventh place in the league.
After losing key players and failing to build on last season’s momentum, Napoli are expected to part ways with Osimhen this summer. Osimhen signed a new contract with Napoli last December, with a buyout clause worth €130 million ($189.1 million). With Osimhen’s transfer becoming easier to secure, a bidding war erupted between European big clubs including Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal.
Napoli, who are parting ways with the core of their title-winning squad, are determined to keep Kabarachelia. Kabarachelia, who was named the Italian Serie A’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) last season, has been the subject of transfer speculation recently. His agent has revealed in interviews that Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have made offers for the player, and he has since indicated that he could leave if a big offer comes in.
However, Napoli have no intention of letting Kvarachelia go, at least not this summer. They have even offered to triple his weekly wages to keep him for the long term. Currently, Kabarachelia earns €1.5 million per year, but Napoli wants to increase his salary to €4.5 million. If you include bonus clauses, it could be even higher.
The two sides are now expected to officially announce the re-signing once they agree on just two conditions. “There are only two knots to be tied,” said Calcio 스포츠토토 Mercato. The first is the length of the contract, whether it will run until 2028 or 2029. The second is the buyout clause. The president, Aurelio De Laurentiis (74-Italy), wants a very high buyout clause,” the source added.
Kvarachelia, a former Rubin Kazan and Dinamo Batumi player, scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in 34 Serie A appearances last season. He helped Napoli to a 10-10 record, the only team in the league to do so. He struggled a bit at the start of this season, but has since returned to form and has been devastating. Kvaradzehelia scored 10 goals and provided five assists in 38 official games in 2023-24.
The Georgian international recently made history by helping his country qualify for its first-ever UEFA EURO. Georgia punched their ticket to Euro 2024 at home after a penalty shootout with Greece. Kvaradze Helia played 109 minutes on the day, leading Georgia’s offense.