One European journalist has suggested that Liverpool could potentially try to pounce for a Serie A title winner as a long-term successor to Mo Salah at Anfield.
Sky Sport market expert Luca Marchetti was speaking about the contract situation of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Napoli, fearing that the winger’s comparatively low wages when measured against his performances could see him prised away from the Italian champions.
He told Radio Marte (via Sport Napoli): “Kvara has a significant salary, but after what he has shown, his salary does not fully reflect his value. Can Napoli offer €2.5m net? It is the figure from which to start negotiations.
“If Liverpool come in, and it’s been talked about recently, why sell Mo Salah, what would you do? Salah, at Liverpool, certainly doesn’t earn €3m… We need to protect Kvara and show him due recognition.”
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According to Capology, Kvaratskhelia currently earns just over £25,000 per week at Napoli, which is less than 10% of what Salah takes home every seven days at Liverpool.
The Georgian winger was one of the stars of the Azzurri’s title triumph last season, scoring 12 goals and setting up another 13 in 34 Serie A games (Transfermarkt), with those performances seeing him nominated for this year’s Ballon D’Or (Daily Mail).
The 22-year-old may well feel that he’s getting short-changed in comparison to other players with a lesser output who would’ve been nowhere near the reckoning for individual accolades on a global scale.
Kvaratskhelia grabbed one assist on a night which saw him run Liverpool ragged when Napoli beat us 4-1 in the Champions League 12 months ago, and even though he plays primarily on the left flank, his ability to switch to the right could see Klopp eye him up as Salah’s long-term successor at Anfield.
If his current club are slow to offer him a wage increase which’d be more befitting of a Ballon D’Or nominee, the Reds’ hierarchy could seek to pounce with an enticing proposal of their own.
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