On the Serie A day in which Napoli can break away from Atalanta, who drew 0-0 in Udine in the afternoon , Antonio Conte confirms Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's desire to leave already in this winter market. "He asked the club to be sold, I was told: I spoke to the player, who confirmed this decision to me", the coach's words in a press conference on the eve of the match with Verona. Where Kvaratskhelia will not be there, with his objective being to go to PSG. "Personally, I feel very disappointed", continues Conte . "I spent six months trying to make Kvaratskhelia feel at the center of the project, showing him that something important could be done. But I also worked with the club, given that there was a contract that had to be renewed and instead after six months we are still at the beginning of the contract".

The former Juventus and Inter coach, currently leading the Serie A standings with 44 points, doesn't mince his words: " I take things head on and perhaps I haven't been so incisive in convincing the two parties to move forward together ," he points out. "Today I'm at the point where I have to take a step back, I can't keep those who don't want to stay in chains. Obviously we're going to lose an important player. I've been working since this summer to try to convince the player and the club to find a solution. Then this news arrived and I'm taking a step back, it's right that the situation is resolved by Kvaratskhelia, the club and his entourage."

President Aurelio De Laurentiis does not want to sell off the Georgian, with a valuation of around 80 million. This is why the transfer – although very likely – has yet to be defined: «I would never want him to feel that I am chaining him to Napoli if he were to stay», continues Conte. «This summer I thought I would convince him in the long run about the goodness of the project: instead, seeing the results of these days, it means that I have not succeeded and therefore I must take a step back. Kvaratskhelia will not be in the match against Verona tomorrow, we will see what happens . But I am now out of this situation: even if he were to stay he must know that I have not put myself in the middle of anything anymore, if he were to stay he will have to give 100%».

(Unioneonline/r.sp.).

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