Napoli, Conte backtracks on Kvaratskhelia: transfer at risk?

Naples, January 13, 2025 - And I am 5: Napoli continues to win and convince, achieving a poker of consecutive victories thanks to the success against the Verona, rich in meaning in as many ways as possible.

A victory full of meanings

 Let's start from the most basic one, especially when there is a beautiful ranking at stake that for months now seems to foretell an even more exciting epilogue: the Azzurri add more to their bag 3 points that lead to 47 the total count, with a temporary (and not virtual) leadership in the rankings. Of course, behind Atalanta and especially Inter have, respectively, one and two jokers to play corresponding to the matches less today, with the first 'installment' that will start already in the middle of this week, but in the meantime whoever is ahead wins puts pressure on the pursuers, as per the old rule of sport. And the Napoli when it comes to winning, they never hold back, regardless of the name and caliber of the opponent on duty: if it is a medium-small team, then the Neapolitans transform into a real war machine. Or, at least, this is the scenario if we exclude the nosedive at the championship debut at Bentegodi. And here we come to the second meaning of yesterday's victory: almost like a case wanted by fate, the Napoli the same opponent is found at the beginning of both rounds and, word on the pitch, the results collected are totally opposite, as is the climate. In the sultry heat of August, theGreece with a very clear 3-0 which seemed to be the appetizer of diametrically opposed seasons for the two rivals: the Scaligeri, with an excess of optimism, dreamed of theEurope, while the Azzurri, despite the revolution on the market and the arrival on the bench of Antonio Conte, they feared another anonymous championship, not to say disappointing. Months pass, we arrive at the polar cold of January, and the scenario is reversed: the Napoli leads the rankings, while the Verona, despite the recent rather positive moment, is on the edge of the abyss called the relegation zone. We then come to the very current news, linked to that transfer case that few, just to stay on the subject of failed predictions, could have imagined until a few weeks ago: Khvisha Kvaratskhelia, accomplices the sirens of the Paris Saint-Germain, is now a separated person at home and his coach himself, on the eve of the match, he calmly walked him to the door in words. Only to partially retract it right after the match that resulted in the clean sheet number 12 su 20 games, with the number of goals conceded remaining at 12, making the Napoli the best defense ofEurope together withAtletico Madrid.

Kvaratskhelia case, the Count show

The new king of Fuorigrotta does and undoes on a media level like probably not even Aurelio De Laurentiis he had not managed to make frequent appearances in front of microphones and notebooks even in his golden age. It so happens that after the third success in as many races played without kvaratskhelia in the last month, Tale decides to make mea culpa on the matter, admitting that he thought he could have more of an impact, in one sense or another (of course with hopes placed on the white smoke): in this way, any possible controversy with the player, with his fiery entourage or even with the Napoli was nipped (almost) in the bud. Then, despite a storm as sudden as it was violent, Tale leaves open a glimmer of hope that no one would have expected: that of the permanence of kvaratskhelia. In fact, the Salento coach is right: it is impossible to take anything for granted in the transfer market, even less so in the never simple repair session, the one in which less money circulates, among other things in less time, and in which the teams are reluctant to let go of the prized pieces. The same Napoli, despite the stormy winds and the jabs coming from its number 77, will not give up the emblem of the scudetto without guarantees. To be precise, two: a significant income, to be quantified in no less than 90 million, and a worthy substitute in hand, to be identified in an element already ready and already entered into the Serie A or in a futuristic prospect to be weaned behind a battery of very respectable full-backs and which today sees in David Neres the most representative element. The final word, as always since last June, will be up to Tale and it will be a heavy word: first of all almost a ius vitae et necis for kvaratskhelia and his 'stomach aches'. In case of thumbs down, and a simultaneous satisfactory offer from Paris, all the clues lead to the second track, which in turn can be translated into the name of Alexander Garnacho. Born in 2004 but already a linchpin of the Manchester United and its National, the Argentine with a Spanish passport is considered by many to be the heir of Cristiano Ronaldo. Right footed, garnacho in attack he knows and can do practically everything thanks to excellent ballistic skills, to be combined with those in dribbling and in the finishing phase, in turn embellished by a not insignificant speed. In short, perhaps a Black 2.0 more than a 'new' kvaratskhelia, but first we have to unravel the mess surrounding the 'old' kvaratskhelia. For Tale the game is not over at all and perhaps it is not even for the other actors in the story. From Napoli, who will think about it many times before selling his ace with the championship in progress having increasingly rosy contours, at the same time Fourth, who could be tempted to give himself this other, last, challenge before saying goodbye in the summer, when it hurts less: albeit with the certainty of having to re-scale the hierarchies which now on the left see the total domination of Neres. And with the other certainty, even stronger, that everything or almost everything will depend on the will of Tale, who is also proving to be a real showman at the media level in a place where until now this role was only the prerogative of De Laurentiis.

Read also - Giro d'Italia 2025, today the presentation: time and where to see it