Chelsea may have to wait until 2025 for Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to become available.
But it looks like Chelsea and some of Europe’s other heavyweights will not have a realistic chance of signing the 23-year-old attacker until the summer of 2025.
One player who could leave Napoli before then, though, is Victor Osimhen, who is also being linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
Difficult to get Khvicha Kvaratskhelia out of Napoli in 2024
Bailey thinks clubs will struggle to convince Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis to part ways with Kvaratskhelia next year.
Discussing his future on Talking Transfers, the journalist said: “It’s going to be very hard to get him out and Aurelio De Laurentiis, one of the most difficult men to negotiate with. So it won’t be easy to get him out of Naples. But we’ll see.
“I think the only way he leaves in 2024 is if they don’t finish in the top four. That aside, I think we’ll have to wait until 2025. But clubs are looking, they’re doing their due diligence.”
If he is still available and Chelsea feel that they need to bring in a new winger, then absolutely.
Kvaratskhelia was one of the most exciting wide men in Europe last season, coming up with 22 goal contributions in 34 Serie A appearances.
According to WhoScored, the Georgian also completed 2.2 dribbles per game in the league, which was the highest average in Napoli’s squad.
In terms of how much he could cost, football agent Christian Emile told Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel last year that Kvaratskhelia was on course to becoming a €100m (£87m) player.
It is big money, but if Kvaratskhelia continues developing in the manner that he has been, then he could be well worth it.
There is a long way to go until 2025, though, so he is perhaps a name Chelsea fans should not be obsessing over. A transfer is far off it seems.