Man Utd tipped to make move for £86m Arsenal target identified as replacement for Liverpool star
According to reports, Manchester United are interested in Napoli forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was linked with an £86m move to Arsenal last month.
The Georgia international had a sensational debut season for Napoli last term following his move from Dinamo Batumi.
The 22-year-old grabbed 14 goals and 17 assists in his 43 appearances across all competitions as Napoli won the Serie A title.
Kvaratskhelia was relatively unknown before last season but he is now on the radar of clubs around Europe. Luckily for Napoli, he is under contract until 2027 so they are able to demand a huge fee for the talented winger.
It was claimed last month that Arsenal were preparing to make a £86m bid for the attacker but this did not end up happening before the summer transfer window closed.
Napoli were unwilling to let Kvaratskhelia or Victor Osimhen leave the club during the summer transfer window and they likely value their two prized assets at over £100m apiece.
Man Utd are currently short on options in wide areas. Antony has been given time off in order to address allegations made against him of violence towards women, while Jadon Sancho’s future is uncertain after he hit out at Erik ten Hag.
The Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan is reporting that Man Utd “admire” the Napoli star but he is “unlikely” to leave the Serie A champions in January.
“He plays on the other side but it wouldn’t surprise me if Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was in the Premier League next season,” Keegan told The Daily Mail.
READ MORE: Manchester United, Spurs, Liverpool stars among five looking for Turkey transfer this week
“I know he’s had admirers here, including United, but I can’t imagine he would come cheap and a switch during the season may be unlikely. As for January, a loan move may be the answer to get them through until the end of the campaign.”
Liverpool expert Neil Jones has recently identified Kvaratskhelia as a suitable replacement for Mo Salah, who has been pursued by Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad.
“If Salah were to leave, I would lean towards Liverpool maybe targeting someone a little different in terms of profile; still quick, still capable of scoring and creating, but maybe not someone who will simply look to take over from Salah as the main goalscorer,” Jones told Caught Offside.
“I love Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Napoli, Rafa Leao of Milan is a really interesting player, and I’m convinced that Brighton’s Evan Ferguson is bound for the top. Whoever they did sign, however, would have huge boots to fill!”
READ MORE: Harry Maguire has finally let down ‘awful manager’ Southgate, his England race should be run…
