Arsenal are said to be interested in signing PSG superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia but a summer transfer would appear incredibly difficult to execute
There is a sense of inevitability every time Khvicha Kvaratskhelia skips inside or glides past the opposition full-back.
He is swiftly becoming one of the most-cherished footballers in the current game due to his glistening reputation as a throwback forward and attacker, who plays with freedom, style and real quality.
Loose speculation suggesting Arsenal are interested in Kvaratskhelia ahead of the summer transfer window feels slightly fanciful at this stage of the season.
What’s clear is the Gunners will consider signing a new left-winger in the forthcoming months and naturally, the Georgian maverick would tick just about every box.
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All except one: his availability. Prising him out of PSG, he only joined from Napoli around 14 months ago, would take a whopping financial package and even then, why would the French giants seek to sell one of their most-prized assets?
Kvara is slowly emerging as the face of Luis Enrique’s project, even if the Spaniard will be keen to stress his team is not about individuals.
At 25, he is rapidly approaching his prime and the Georgia international is playing the best football of his career. Yes, at some point, the Premier League may appeal to him but it would feel like an unnecessary gamble for him to pack up and leave when PSG look like genuine contenders for the Champions League, which they won last season, for the foreseeable future.
He has even said on record that he is loving life in Paris, where he feels at home, telling Le Parisien last month: “Paris, for me, is truly incredible. You have everything here, and on top of that, it’s the city of love. When PSG called me, I think my wife was the happiest person in the world.
“Before PSG contacted me, she always said, ‘Imagine if we played for PSG one day, it would be incredible to live there.’ I would reply, ‘Yes, of course.’ But in my mind, I thought it was very difficult to go there when there were such amazing players like [Lionel] Messi, Neymar and [Kylian] Mbappe.
“I love Paris, I love everything about Paris. The more I think about it, the more I appreciate how respectful people are. When you go out, they don’t bother you much. At a restaurant, for example, they ask before taking a photo. I really like that. It’s the best city to stroll around in with your wife.”
Arsenal may wish to try their luck and test the water but it does not feel realistic to suggest Kvara is a viable transfer target for the summer.
Surely, he would cost a figure close to the club-record £105million fee that the Gunners splashed on Declan Rice in the summer of 2023.
Given the length of his contract, which runs until the summer of 2029, any move would also likely require Kvara to angle for a move, which would see him risk tarnishing his reputation at the Parc des Princes.
PSG want to keep their top stars and that includes Kvaratskhelia’s team-mate Bradley Barcola, who could be in line for a new contract.
However, if those talks fail to progress, he would appear a more realistic target for Arsenal in their search for wide reinforcements.
Discussions are expected to intensify at the end of the season and that’s when interested parties will receive clarity on Barcola’s situation.
In many respects, it feels as if he would be the candidate far more likely to leave PSG than Kvara and Arsenal should monitor those developments closely.
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