Kvaratskhelia wants to leave Napoli – Conte
Napoli coach Antonio Conte has confirmed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has asked to leave the club amid reported interest from Premier League leaders Liverpool and Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
Kvaratskhelia, who won the Serie A title with Napoli in 2023, has a contract that runs until 2027 but progress has not been made in extending that deal this season.
Speaking in a news conference ahead of Napoli’s Serie A game against Verona on Sunday, Conte expressed his disappointment about the 23-year-old potentially leaving the Serie A leaders this month.
“I have never hidden away from uncomfortable questions. If I speak, I’ll tell the truth, otherwise I prefer to stay quiet, I don’t tell lies,” Conte said.
“We are talking about an important player. A player who was already due to leave in the summer. I also wanted to have technical certainties. Quality is needed in addition to the work I demanded, as well as the confirmation of certain players, including Khvicha, who, as you know, had asked to be sold in the summer. And he wasn’t the only one.
“We are moving forwards, but it is easy to forget the work I had to do to convince the players, who I considered essential, to stay. Many wanted to take other paths.
“He asked the club to be sold, without mincing his words. This is what was said to me, the player has confirmed his decision to me.
“Personally I feel very disappointed, because I spent six months trying to make [Kvaratskhelia] feel at the centre of the project, working with him, showing him that we could do something great and also working with the club for six months on the renewal.
“From my point of view, it’s a great disappointment.
“Today I have to take a step back. I can’t keep those who want to leave tied up in chains. I did that in the summer and had six months to convince all the parties to find a solution.
“I realise that the news has come out of the blue, but now I am taking a step back and it’s right that the club and [Kvaratskhelia’s] entourage resolve the situation.
“And so, he is not available for Verona. We will see what happens. We will lose an important player, but for the meantime, let’s focus on Verona.”
