Arsenal attempt to repeat transfer victory with mixed success by hijacking €15m Serie A switch

Arsenal are in contention for the signing of Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but will have to beat Napoli to his signature, according to a report.

Kvaratskhelia could be on the move in the summer, away from Rubin Kazan. He is currently seeing out the season with Dinamo Batumi in his native country. After that, he will likely be looking for a new permanent home.

He has already been linked with a number of potential destinations. Leeds United were an option last summer and are believed to still be in the hunt.

But the club that appears to be leading the race for Kvaratskhelia is Napoli. The Serie A side are looking for a new winger given that Lorenzo Insigne will be leaving them in the summer.

According to Area Napoli, though, they face competition for Kvaratskhelia from Arsenal.

The Gunners beat Napoli to the signing of another winger, Nicolas Pepe, back in 2019. The Ivory Coast international has struggled for consistency since the club-record move, though.

His future may be in doubt, and a couple of other factors mean Arsenal are looking at other wide recruits.

Kvaratskhelia is one of those on their radar, per Area Napoli. Arsenal could cause disruption to any plans Luciano Spalletti’s side have to accommodate the 21-year-old.

The Premier League outfit have gathered information about Kvaratskhelia. If they choose to firm up any plans to pounce for him, Napoli would be looking over their shoulders.

But for now, Serie A’s second-place team are in the lead for the Dinamo Tbilisi academy graduate. They are aiming to complete the potential deal for less than €15m (around £12.6m). The website that focuses on them and is covering this story claims they are closing in on his potential arrival.

Arsenal, for their part,