Rumours that Napoli are in talks with star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia over a new contract have been dramatically denied by the Italian club.
Serie A champions Napoli condemned the media speculation in the strongest terms amid the Georgia international’s disappointing start to the campaign.
Kvaratskhelia has failed to score since March and was substituted midway through the second half of Saturday’s defeat to Lazio.
Italian media had reported on talks over the 22-year-old’s contract stalling after his agent, Mamuka Jugeli, was snubbed for a meeting with club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis on the weekend.
However, Napoli have rebuked any claims that they want to extend Kvaratskhelia’s contract, which runs to 2027.
“Some media continue to report, with only the footballer's agents as their source, of alleged negotiations in the renewal of Kvaratskhelia,” an official statement read.
“It's ‘b*******’. No one from Napoli has ever talked about the possible renewal of the player (whose contract expires in 4 years). Not [sporting director] Mauro Meluso, nor [scout] Maurizio Micheli, nor Aurelio de Laurentiis, nor [managing director] Andrea Chiavelli.”
Liverpool and Real Madrid have previously been linked with a transfer move for Kvaratskhelia.
Earlier in the year, Jugeli insisted that there is “no hurry” for the winger to sign a new Napoli contract.
Alcuni media continuano a raccontare, avendo come unica fonte gli agenti del calciatore, di presunte trattative in corso per il rinnovo di Kvaratskhelia. Si tratta di “cazzate”. Nessuno del Napoli ha mai parlato del possibile rinnovo del calciatore (il cui contratto scade tra 4…
— Official SSC Napoli (@sscnapoli) September 5, 2023
“[Cristiano] Giuntoli told me there is no rush,” he said in March, in reference to then-Napoli director Cristiano Giuntoli. “We are not in a hurry either. Khvicha likes everything about Naples and for the moment there is nothing.
“If we decide something, Giuntoli will be the first to know. We had a friendly conversation, he asked me about other potential Georgian footballers and he was interested in our country's football.
“His father and I are Barcelona fans, but Kvara loves Real Madrid. If I see him in a Barcelona shirt I'll be happy, but he's a Madridista. Napoli director asks me not to be in a hurry — Kvara likes everything in Napoli.”
