According to Sport, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will be a major focus in the clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. The Georgian player is not currently in his best form, but he was one of Paris's key players last season, performing quite brilliantly. He is one of the best left-wingers in the world, and in 2024, he had an opportunity to join Barcelona.
Barcelona, at Xavi Hernández's request, had tried to sign him, and Deco also pushed for the deal. However, Xavi's departure and Napoli's tough selling conditions made the signing impossible. Kvaratskhelia ultimately joined Paris Saint-Germain in January 2025 for €70 million plus add-ons and has now become a crucial part of Luis Enrique's tactical system.
Barcelona's pursuit of Kvaratskhelia began in January 2024. The club wanted to bring in a decisive winger for the left flank and set their sights on the Georgian player, directly contacting his agent, Mamuka Jugeli. Jugeli publicly stated that the player's dream was to play in Spain, either for Barcelona or Real Madrid, but the situation was extremely complex.
Barcelona believed early on that they could reach an agreement with Kvaratskhelia. His salary at Napoli was not high, and the contract extension offer from the Italian club was far below his capabilities. Napoli and Kvaratskhelia both knew he would leave sooner or later, but the Italians were very tough negotiators. The issue was not just the €70 million transfer fee; Napoli also wanted almost the entire sum paid upfront. Given Barcelona's financial situation at the time, this signing was almost impossible.
There were new contacts between the two parties in April, with Barcelona asking to wait. Kvaratskhelia's signing would only be possible if there was a significant sale, and Deco at the time believed Raphinha might go to Saudi Arabia. Barcelona already had offers for the Brazilian player and was waiting for his decision after the season.
Everything changed when Juan Laporta decided at the end of the season not to retain Xavi as coach due to the team's poor performance, results, and disagreements over sports planning. Kvaratskhelia was one of Barcelona's preferred targets at the time, but the club knew it was almost impossible to sign him. After Flick took over, the German prioritized keeping the existing key players, convincing Raphinha to stay for at least another season. Kvaratskhelia's transfer thus fell through.
That was a very difficult summer for Barcelona. In that particular transfer window, the club only signed Dani Olmo and Víctor Chust. While a left-winger remained a target – Kvaratskhelia had already been ruled out, and Barcelona had been in negotiations for Nico Williams – Olmo was more economically viable, so Barcelona ultimately prioritized him and secured favorable terms for the club. Kvaratskhelia did not stop trying to leave Napoli, as he knew he could not renew his contract. In January, he joined Paris Saint-Germain in a lightning deal, with the Parisians paying €70 million plus add-ons in a single payment. The story ended there. His contract with Paris runs until 2029, and it seems very likely that he will continue his career at the highest level with Paris Saint-Germain, as he is close to extending his contract with the club until 2031. His dream of wearing the Barcelona shirt had long since vanished.
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