LNigeria international, Victor Osimhen is no longer being looked up to as the striker to salvage Napoli’s lengthy wait for the Scudetto.
According to a report, the Naples faithfuls consider the Nigerian injury prone and might not fulfill his potential of replacing Lorenzo Insigne as the expected messiah to return the team to pre-Maradona days.
When in January Lorenzo Insigne joined MLS side, Toronto FC, Napoli’s hunt for a new messiah began.
Now with the form of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Napoli fans have nickname him “Kvaradona” replicate Maradona to help end Napoli’s lengthy wait for the Scudetto.
Kvaratskhelia won plenty of admirers during his time with Rubin Kazan, but few were prepared to take a gamble on the young Georgian. A lack of experience in one of Europe’s established leagues perhaps deterred suitors, while a return to Georgia, this time with Dinamo Batumi, saw Kvaratskhelia drop off radars.
Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, foreign players were able to unilaterally suspend their contracts until the end of June, which saw Kvaratskhelia make the move to Dinamo Batumi and he was superb in the Erovnuli Liga. Indeed, the young winger scored eight times in 11 league outings before moving to Napoli in July for fee between the region of €10m and €12m, making him the second most expensive Georgian player in history.
With each passing week, that fee is looking a steal. Kvaratskhelia has made a stunning impact for Napoli, quashing any concerns that he would struggle to adapt to Italian football. He has quickly won Partenopei hearts, earning the nickname ‘Kvaradona’, a huge complement to the speed with which he has quickly become a fan favourite at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Kvaratskhelia is still so young. There is plenty of time for the Georgian star to hone his game appropriately, and in time he will learn when it is better to pass on to a teammate rather than try and take an opponent on. For now, though, Kvaratskhelia is a winger enjoying his start to life in Italy and as Napoli seeks to secure a first Scudetto since 1990, where Maradona inspired the Partenopei to domestic success, Napoli supporters are praying Kvaradona can have the same impact.
