Manchester City have been credited with an interest in breakthrough Napoli sensation Khvicha Kvaratskhelia recently and the winger could prove to be Pep Guardiola‘s own version of Mohamed Salah at the Etihad.
According to the Daily Mail, the Citizens are keeping tabs on the Georgia international after his incredible start to life at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Since joining the Serie A leaders from minnows Dinamo Batumi last summer, the youngster has gone on to contribute a remarkable nine goals and 12 assists in just 20 appearances and looks set to inspire Luciano Spalletti’s side to the Scudetto.
New York Times journalist Rory Smith was full of praise for the young winger earlier in the season, writing:
“I genuinely haven’t enjoyed watching someone play football as much as I enjoy watching Khvicha Kvaratskhelia play football for years. He’s instinctive, untamed, anarchic and, most of all, he’s really, really good fun.”
Kvaratskhelia’s phenomenal 7.55 average rating in Serie A sees him ranked by WhoScored as the best performer in Napoli’s squad so far this season, so it could be difficult to prise him away from Gli Azzurri this year, with his agent suggesting that he could cost around €100m (£88m).
However, given that he is just 21 and is already producing superb performances at the top level, that could prove to be a shrewd investment by Manchester City, especially if he can follow in the footsteps of Salah, who has regularly haunted Guardiola during his time with Liverpool.
The Egyptian winger has 10 goals and five assists in just 18 appearances against City for the Reds, which included the winning goal at Anfield earlier this season, which could prove extremely damaging in Guardiola’s hopes of retaining the title this year.
According to FBref, Salah is the fifth-most similar player to Kvaratskhelia when compared to other wingers across Europe’s top leagues.
This season has seen the two wingers register very similar numbers with regard to shot-on-target percentage (39.5% vs 40%), long balls completed (16 vs 14) and expected goals and assists per 90 (0.75 vs 0.68).
WhoScored also suggests that both Salah and Kvaratskhelia excel at playing key passes and through balls, while they both like to cut inside, albeit from opposite flanks, so they are clearly similar types of player.
Considering the 30-year-old’s performances in Jurgen Klopp’s side over the past few years, notably against City, Guardiola would surely be foolish to turn down a player so similar, so he should do everything he can to bring Kvaratskhelia.
