Will 'Kvaradona' replicate Maradona to help end Napoli's lengthy wait for the Scudetto?

When it was confirmed in January that Lorenzo Insigne was to join MLS side Toronto FC over the summer, Napoli's hunt for a new left winger began. Insigne had held down the spot for the best part of three years and while his departure was a blow, that the Italian turned 31 in June meant it was time for the Serie A giants to look to an injection in youth down the left. 

Khvicha 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 part of a wider rebuild at Napoli, who have invested heavily in youth. Insigne wasn't the only player the wrong side of 30 to leave the club over the summer, with Kalidou Koulibaly departing for Chelsea and club-record scorer Dries Mertens leaving upon the culmination of his contract, moving to Galatasaray last month. 

Kim Min-Jae, like Kvaratskhelia, has also excelled in the opening weeks of his Napoli career, the South Korean signing from Fenerbahce, while 22-year-old Giacomo Raspadori joined from Sassuolo in the transfer window to ease the respective exits for Koulibaly and Mertens. And yet while the duo have impressed in their own right, it's 'Kvaradona' who is stealing the plaudits. 

A late Raspadori strike on Saturday saw Napoli maintain their unbeaten start to the season as they secured a 1-0 win over Spezia. Kvaratskhelia endured a subdued display by his standards, and yet he ranks the seventh best rated player in the 2022/23 Serie A campaign having earned a WhoScored rating of 7.35. Only Marko Arnautovic (6) has scored more goals than the Georgia international (4) in Italy's top tier this term, including the winning strike on the hour mark in Napoli's 2-1 win at Lazio earlier this month. 

In terms of being in the right place to develop, he can't get much better than Napoli under Luciano Spalletti. Already adored by the diehard Naples support, Spalletti is also credited with playing a key role in Mohamed Salah's rise to global superstar, the Egyptian so important for Roma during the pair's year together in the Eternal City. Spalletti is already having a similar effect on Kvaratskhelia as the Georgian continues to light up Serie A. 

Caution, though, must be applied, as Spalletti noted recently. "He still has too much pressure on him," the experienced Italian coach mused and at 21 years of age, Kvaratskhelia still has plenty to add to his game. For example, he ranks among the top 20 players for successful dribbles (8) in Serie A this season, but in turn; he is first for unsuccessful dribbles (22) in the division, leading to a poor success rate of 26.7%. 

Two key passes per 90 isn't exactly a poor return, but one that could feasibly be higher. Kvaratskhelia is more than capable of getting into excellent positions in the final third, yet there is a knack for knowing when is the best time to release the ball rather than seeking to take an opponent on, which in itself can result in an attack breaking down. 

Conversely, it is worth remembering that 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 seek 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.