Chelsea handed January transfer blow as Napoli star's father speaks out on preferred move

Posted Friday, December 01, 2023 by Express.co.uk

Mauricio Pochettino is scouring the market as he looks to bolster his forward ranks in the January transfer window.

Chelsea have been handed a hammer blow ahead of the January transfer window as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s father has revealed that his son ‘dreams’ of playing for Real Madrid. Clubs around Europe are keen to acquire the services of the winger as soon as possible, though the forward could be tempted to bide his time before penning a deal elsewhere.

Mauricio Pochettino is expected to splash the cash in January following his side’s disappointing start to the season that has left them 10th in the Premier League. Poor individual performances and injuries have played a key role in the Blues’ frustrations, though those excuses do not suffice for such a pricey squad.

Todd Boehly and co are keen to continue investing into the club and reports have circulated that several forwards are under consideration at Stamford Bridge, including Napoli star Kvaratskhelia.

However, a move to the Premier League does not appear to be the Georgian international’s priority. Badri Kvaratskhelia, the father of the Napoli star, has revealed that the 22-year-old has aspirations of joining Madrid.

Chelsea handed January transfer blow as Napoli star's father speaks out on preferred move
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 'dreams' of playing for Real Madrid (Image: Getty)

He told Geo Team: “For Khvicha, playing against Real Madrid was special. He has always dreamed, and I’m convinced that he still dreams, of playing for Real Madrid.

“In my family, everyone is a Los Blancos fan except me. For this reason, it was a very special match.” Kvaratskhelia featured for Napoli during their 4-2 loss at the hands of Los Blancos on Wednesday night, playing the full 90 minutes but failing to truly make his presence felt at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The match provided the ex-Rubin Kazan with a taste of what life is like at Madrid though, and it remains to be seen whether he will be granted his ‘dream’ move in the future given that they are in the market for a forward when the season concludes. Reports have emerged that the La Liga outfit have recently cooled their interest in Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe, prompting discussions about alternatives.

Chelsea will be hoping that the prospect of playing in the Premier League and being a marquee player in an incredibly lucrative project will prove persuasive to Kvaratskhelia if they decide to table a bid for his services though. Manchester City and Newcastle have also been linked with the versatile playmaker previously, and both have similar finances and opportunities on offer.