Enzo Maresca It certainly silenced some doubters during its opening months Chelsea Boss, create a settlement Premier League aspect, with improved results as a result.
The Italian arrived in the summer to replace Mauricio Pochettino and has left his own mark on the team, with his attacking style taking the club to fourth place after the first 20 games.
Such a philosophy made the Blues proud Third highest number of goals by any side In the division, allowing attacking-minded players to flourish under his leadership at Stamford Bridge.
Cole Palmer remains Top scorer in the tournament with 13 goalsBut Nicholas Jackson also showed his quality, scoring nine goals – and is finally starting to look like a player capable of producing the goods in the forward areas.
However, January represents another opportunity for the 44-year-old to add more quality to his squad, with the big-name talent already on their radar for a potential move to west London.
Chelsea are interested in signing a £67m star in January
According to journalist David Orenstein, Chelsea in the race To sign a Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia This month, but it faces serious competition from multiple other parties.
Liverpool, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are just three teams also interested in signing the 23-year-old who has been produced. Eight combined goals and two assists Throughout the 2024/25 season.
The Georgia international could become available before the end of the month, which could spark a bidding war between all the clubs mentioned above.
Another source claimed that the Serie A team is He is demanding €80m (£67m) for the split With their star striker, but it is not known whether either party would be able to pay such a fee.
Kvaratskhelia would be a fantastic addition to the Blues' squad, potentially becoming their own version of one of the superstars of European football over the past few years.
Why could Kvaratskhelia be Chelsea's own version of Mbappe?
French star Kylian Mbappe He is a player every club in the world should covet, especially given his quality in front of goal – scoring countless goals and terrorizing the backlines in the process.
During his seven years with Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1, the 26-year-old was He scored 235 goals in 264 matches – An exceptional record, as his best season came during his final season in Paris, where he scored 44 goals in all competitions.
He then moved to Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of his contract before the current season. He has already scored 14 times For his new team – maintaining his position as one of the strongest strikers in Europe.
While Kvaratskhelia is not as prolific as the France international, he possesses great quality with the ball at his feet, often cutting off his right foot from his left – replicating Mbappe's skill set.
As a result of his performances for Napoli this season, he has been He is rated as a similar player To the Real Madrid star by FBref, he is equal to or better than the 26-year-old in several key areas for a striker.
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How does Kvaratskhelia compare to Mbappe in 2024/25 so far |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Kvaratskhelia |
Mbappe |
|
Games played |
17 |
17 |
|
Goals and assists |
8 |
12 |
|
Holds progressivism |
5.7 |
5.1 |
|
Progressive passes |
4.4 |
4.3 |
|
Snapshot creation procedures |
4.4 |
3.3 |
|
Takeover attempted |
2.5 |
2.5 |
|
Heading into the final third |
3.9 |
2.5 |
|
Statistics via FBref |
||
The Georgian who called him “One of the best dribblers in the world“According to analyst Max Statman, the average More passes and progressive movements Per 90 – Showing his ability to take the ball into the forward areas.
And he too Produced more snapshot creation actionswhile matching Mbappé in his attacking attempts, showing how he can be the Blues' own version of a leading European striker.
The £67m transfer fee may be another expensive addition to the Blues hierarchy, but he certainly has the quality to be worth every penny, boosting the club's top four ambitions.
Given his similarities to the Real Madrid star, the club would be making a huge mistake in not pursuing a move for the Napoli player, with one of their English rivals potentially benefiting from their failure to secure a deal.
