Stunning Kvaratskhelia transfer miss by Leeds rears its head as PSG sensation scores twice in Bayern goal fest | OneFootball

Leeds United fans have been reminded of a stunning transfer miss for a man who has serious claims to being one of the world’s best stars right now in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, while the player they signed instead goes through a barren season at Elland Road.

The Georgian superstar laid further claim to being a serious contender to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or with two outstanding strikes during a quite frankly ridiculous 5-4 Champions League semi-final first-leg as his Paris Saint-Germain side, just about, got the better of Bayern Munich.

The reigning champions will hope to see the job through when they travel to Munich next week and book themselves in for the Budapest-staged final, and the chance to defend the trophy they emphatically won by beating Inter Milan 5-0 in last year’s showpiece.

In Tuesday’s game, Kvaratskhelia was on the scoresheet twice, scoring after 24 minutes to cancel out Harry Kane’s opener and then netting again after 56 minutes to put his side 4-2 to the good.

That double lifted the Georgian up to 43 G/A since signing for (26 scored, 17 assists) from 75 appearances for the Ligue 1 giants, carrying on from a similarly profitable stint in Italy with Napoli.

Yet back in 2021, a sliding doors moment could have taken Kvaratskhelia to Leeds United, with iconic boss Marcelo Bielsa listing the star as a potential target and with the West Yorkshire side even holding preliminary transfer talks with his agent.

Playing in Russia for Rubin Kazan at the time, the then 20-year-old star and his agent held talks with the Whites over a potential move to Elland Road.

The Whites, at the time, had just completed their first season back in the top flight under Bielsa, finishing ninth, and were looking to sign a pacy winger to provide more ammunition for then-striker Patrick Bamford.

Kvaratskhelia, at the time, even namedropped Leeds when confirming talks had been held.

“Negotiations with Leeds? Yes, they have been conducted and may resume,” he said at the time.

Sadly for Leeds, that move never came to fruition, though there was a stark reminder of that fact on Tuesday night after the PSG v Bayern extravaganza when Leeds fans brought up that historic quote on social media…

Leeds spent £25m on Kvaratskhelia alternative

The fee quoted for Kvaratskhelia at the time was a modest £20m, though given he was only proven in the Russian Premier League, it’s easy to see why Leeds opted against such a move at the time.

And hindsight is a beautiful thing, right?

Leeds, though, did grant Bielsa his wish for a new winger that summer, instead opting to spend £25m to sign Dan James from Manchester United, with the Wales international having already proved his worth in the Premier League with the Red Devils.

Bielsa had been a long-time admirer of the former Swansea man, having come within a whisker of signing him 18 months prior and with the move only breaking down when the Swans pulled the plug on the move at the last moment.

James has since gone on to rack up 140 appearances at Leeds, scoring 29 goals and adding 22 assists in that time.

However, James has not always found consistency at Elland Road, while injuries have limited him to just 17 appearances in all competitions this season, which have yet to yield a solitary goal contribution.

The change of system by Daniel Farke to a 3-5-2 formation has also limited his opportunities, with the Leeds width coming instead from their wing-backs.

His future is reportedly under the spotlight this summer, though with six other attackers destined to leave Elland Road, it would come as a surprise were he to be let go.

In terms of incoming arrivals, TEAMtalk sources can exclusively reveal that Leeds are battling Tottenham Hotspur to sign a brilliant 26-goal striker who’s primed to shine at the World Cup.