Khvicha Kvaratskhelia agents contact Barcelona as Napoli sale edges closer | OneFootball

Napoli and star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have been at odds over the Georgian’s contract for some time, and negotiations over his new deal are pointing in the direction of an exit from the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Barcelona are one of the candidates to sign him.

According to GdS, as carried by Sport, Kvaratskhelia’s agents have been in contact with Barcelona to see if they would be interested in negotiating for him next summer. Napoli have offered him a five-year deal with a top cap of €5m per year, up from his current €1.2m per season. That is in the region of what Kvaratskhelia’s agents are demanding, but under no circumstances are they considering signing it with the condition of a €130m release clause that Napoli want to include.

If a deal is not agreed, then Kvaratskhelia will be sold next summer, and his agents are already looking at destinations. Paris Saint-Germain tried to sign him last summer, and they are another interested party. From their perspective, Barcelona know the player would be keen on hte move, but have no intention of getting into talks without a pre-agreed price with Napoli and owner Aurelio de Laurentiis.

They know that he is a tough negotiator, and Barcelona have no intention of paying the €80m asking price that has been rumoured. As for now, Napoli and Kvaratskhelia have frozen talks, and although there will be another attempt at finding a deal, but there is not much optimism of finding it.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Barcelona had shortlisted Kvaratskhelia as their top alternative to Nico Williams, who remains their priority target for the left-wing position next summer. Kvaratskhelia would likely cost less than Williams in wages and a fee, but the Georgian’s stock is perhaps not as high as that of Williams in Spain these days.