Napoli owner and chairman Aurelio de Laurentiis has revealed that the Partenopei had discovered Khvicha Kvaratskhelia about three seasons ago but COVID losses prevented them signing him.
The Partenopei signed the Georgian from Dinamo Batumi this past summer and his impact on the pitch has been clear to see. He has been one of the most devastating players in Europe, assisting and scoring in double figures in all competitions. He has impressed in Serie A and in the Champions League. His partnership with Victor Osimhen has set European football on fire and has caught the attention of many.
A host of clubs were interested in signing the player before he joined Napoli but the Naples-based side acted quickly to seal his services. The likes of Tottenham, Leeds United and Juventus were linked with him.
De Laurentiis spoke to the press before Napoli’s Champions League game against Eintracht Frankfurt and he stated: “The coaches have a role, which is to coach. And fortunately we have a coach who knows how to coach, who knows how to make the team work.
“But it’s not up to us to expect every coach to know all the players in the world, it’s our job to pay attention to the transfer market. There is a player, Kvaratskhelia, who we had discovered 3 years ago, but we had losses of €30 million during COVID.”
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Kaustubh Pandey | GIFN
