Liverpool 'target' has 'asked to be sold' as personal terms 'agreed' for January transfer move

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has told Napoli he wants to depart the club, confirmed head coach Antonio Conte.

The winger had been in negotiations over a new contract with the Serie A leaders - but he does not want to stay in Italy. Kvaratskhelia has been at the Azzurri since 2022, helping the club win the Scudetto in his first season.

But Kvaratskhelia, who has recoded five goals and three assists this term, wants a new chapter in his career. Liverpool have been linked with the Georgia international and The Athletic reported that the Reds have been ‘keeping tabs on and will be ready to contend for if it becomes a market opportunity’. That’s despite having Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Federico Chiesa as wide options.

However, Paris Saint-Germain look set to land Kvaratskhelia, with a a reported five-year contract agreed for a £67 million fee. And Conte has admitted that he will not keep the 23-year-old ‘chained up’ at Napoli. The ex-Chelsea boss, speaking before a clash against Verona, said: "Kvara has asked the club to be sold... I spoke to the player and he confirmed his decision. I'm very disappointed.

"It's been six months that I've been trying to make him feel at the heart of our project, and showing him with the arrival of other players that we can still do something special here.

"There was a contract that was supposed to be renewed. Obviously I didn't do enough to convince both parties to carry on together. I'll take a step back because I can't keep chained up a player who doesn't want to stay.

"The problem that needs to be solved is between the player, his people and the club. I wouldn't want him to think that, if he were to end up staying, that he thought I had blocked the sale."

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was asked about links to Kvaratskhelia ahead of the 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup third round. Slot said: "What I make of that is it is January. I think I said it after the West Ham game that don't disappoint me, please come up with all these clubs and all these players that are in the interest from us or the ones that don't play a lot for us are going to go somewhere else! Yeah, that's what's happening now.

"Nine out of 10 times, 99 times out of 100 times in the end of the window, it's been clear that almost all of these stories weren't true. So, what can I comment about it? That the rumours keep going for it, but no comments from my side."