Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Napoli shows his disappointment during the Serie A match between Napoli and SS Lazio at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on December 08, 2024 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
Napoli director Giovanni Manna says the Partenopei were forced and ‘almost blackmailed’ to send Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to PSG and reveals Alejandro Garnacho’s requests were too high for a January transfer.
Manna explained Napoli’s January moves at a press conference on Wednesday.
The Partenopei sent Kvaratskhelia to PSG for over €70m and chased a replacement for several weeks, ultimately signing Noah Okafor on loan with an option to buy from Milan.
“We wanted to clarify certain dynamics that may seem incorrect or untrue, as we have read many things in recent days. We want to be transparent and explain what has happened over the past month,” Manna said via TuttoNapoli.
Napoli’ almost blackmailed’ in Kvaratskhelia deal, but couldn’t satisfy Garnacho
“We thank Kvara for what he did in Naples, for what he gave to the city. We tried to resolve a complicated situation in July, then again in November and December, but we were forced to sell him in this window because we found ourselves— I won’t say blackmailed, but almost. It was necessary to make this move.”
Kvara and Napoli had been in talks for a new deal for several months, but when they seemed close to reaching an agreement, the Georgian ace asked to leave.
“I’ve read that it was needed to cover the summer transfer market or balance the books, but that’s not true,” continued Manna.
“We were negotiating a major renewal up until 20 days before, but then the dynamics of the market and the player’s will led us to take a different path.
“We lost an important player, as you all say, as we all say—it’s objective. But Napoli tried to work on the market to replace him properly because he was probably the best player in the team in terms of status. We couldn’t finalize any deals because January is a different market. Strong players don’t usually move, and some valuations didn’t align with Napoli’s financial parameters, both now and in the future, especially regarding salary levels.”
Antonio Conte repeatedly requested a replacement of the same level as Kvara and Italian media believe the coach is unhappy with what the club got.
“With the coach, we discussed things. It’s clear we’re not happy—I’m the first to say that because we lost an important player,” said Manna.
“Expectations can sometimes be too high, we probably contributed to that, but I know we have a squad that has earned 54 points and is growing strongly. We shouldn’t undervalue that.
“Our strategies are always aligned. There’s nothing to fix, Conte is focused on the pitch and his work,” said Manna.
“Talking too much about the transfer market undermines what has been achieved so far. This team finished tenth last season, then completed its squad in the summer, and thanks to the coach and the players, we have now consolidated a position in line with our goal: to return to European competitions, hopefully through the front door. That is the real objective. It’s a process that takes time, and it’s not just about what happens on the pitch. It doesn’t happen in six months.
Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, Borussia Dortmund star Karim Adeyemi and Fenerbahce loanee Allan Saint-Maximin were among the players Napoli contacted to replace Kvara.
“There were other names that didn’t come out in the media. We pursued Garnacho even before Kvara left,” Manna revealed.
“We made a significant offer to Manchester United and got very close. However, to leave the Premier League in January, which is different from a summer move, he wanted to be financially satisfied, and that was something we couldn’t and didn’t want to do. It also wouldn’t have been fair to the rest of the squad, where there is an established salary structure.”
Manna’s explanation goes against what had been reported in Italy as several media claimed the agreement with United was far away, while the Argentinean had accepted a move to the Stadio Maradona.
As for Adeyemi, “We had an agreement in principle with Dortmund, but the player wasn’t sure and decided against coming at this moment,” Manna continued.
“I’ve read that he already has an agreement with another club, but that’s not true. I didn’t want to push too hard.
“All the players who have joined since I arrived have strongly wanted to come to Napoli. If I have to convince someone to come when Napoli is in this position, with one of the best coaches in the world, and playing this well—then they’re not the right fit for us.
“Saint-Maximin was a bureaucratic issue, and the Saudi club had demands that neither we nor Fenerbahce could meet. The regret is that we should have pursued a player like him earlier instead of chasing targets with inflated values, which wasted time.
“Okafor didn’t fail a medical at Leipzig, as it was rumoured. He had an injury in December, rejoined training 10 days ago, and is slightly behind in fitness based on our data, but he is following our methods and will need some time to get up to speed.”