Khvicha Kvaratskhelia transfer: Winger reportedly set for $72 million January transfer to Paris Saint-Germain

Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be the first big name on the move this January with Paris Saint-Germain reportedly close to finalizing a deal worth in excess of $72 million for the Georgia international to move to Parc des Princes on a five-year contract. Parisien head coach Luis Enrique will have his options boosted by the left winger who is still only 23 and was the star of the Italian outfit's Serie A triumph back in 2022-23 as Luciano Spalletti's Partenopei outfit became the darlings of Europe fleetingly.

Kvaratskhelia's star has dimmed a little since then but so too did Napoli's as a whole before Antonio Conte's arrival at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona last summer which had appeared to be a fresh start for the man from Tbilisi. That only proved to be temporary and the Azzurri No. 77 is now about to swap Naples for Paris before the January window closes as the Ligue 1 leaders get busy shifting around attacking options with Randal Kolo Muani expected to leave and Aston Villa's Jhon Duran another target of interest.

Kvaratskhelia will find himself in competition with Bradley Barcola for the wide left berth in the PSG starting XI unless Luis Enrique opts for an unlikely formation change with the France international some way below his early season form which swiftly saw him rack up 10 goals and two assists. Incredibly, the 22-year-old is without a goal involvement across all competitions since early November for club and country with the feeling in the French capital that the former Olympique Lyonnais man needs to be challenged to produce with the required consistency.

Barcola could yet be molded in the false nine figure which his Spanish boss continues to persevere with despite the return to form and fitness of Goncalo Ramos but that transformation can only really begin once Kvaratskhelia arrives. Fresh off the back of their surprisingly successful UEFA Euro 2024, Georgia's national team suddenly has a major reason to be interested in France's Ligue 1 with AS Saint-Etienne's Zuriko Davitashvili and Lyon's Georges Mikautadze also starring in Le Championnat right now.

Kvaratskhelia will bring a sprinkling of star dust for the French topflight which is badly needed at a time when its teams are actually surprisingly competitive in the UEFA Champions League thanks more to AS Monaco, Lille OSC and Stade Brestois 29 than PSG. However, Paris will also get a genuine player of immense quality on his day with the Georgian wizard one of the architects of Napoli's 22-23 Scudetto with 12 goals and 10 assists which grew to 14 goals and 14 assists when considering UCL form and 19 goals and 16 assists thanks to the UEFA Nations League.

Following up such an impressive individual and collective campaign was difficult for all concerned in Naples, including Victor Osimhen who has since joined Galatasaray on loan, with the team finishing down in 10th although Kvaratskhelia did still manage 11 goals and six assists in Serie A plus an additional assist in Europe. Looking at his current form, "Kvaradona" as he has been nicknamed in tribute to Napoli's late Argentine legend, is still fairly productive under Conte -- even if it is some way off the heights set in previous years.

With five goals and three assists to his name and having also played on the left as well as through the middle, PSG transfer guru Luis Campos clearly feels that this could prove to be a masterstroke for the French giants. Not all of the Portuguese talent spotter's acquisitions have worked out in Paris with midseason a particularly risky moment to be doing such significant business but it is a move that seems to make sense on paper given Luis Enrique's frustrations in attack so far this term.