The common narrative surrounding Paris Saint-Germain this season is that the team is somewhat lacking in superstar offensive talent. While Ousmane Dembele`s presence already casts doubt on this assessment, the arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia truly challenges that easy categorization. The Georgian player might not possess the immediate global fame of previous headline signings, but in terms of pure ability, he is absolutely worthy of being placed in the lineage of players like Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe.
He might even prove to be more significant than those players, particularly if he helps secure the highly coveted Champions League trophy for the club. This seems highly achievable after their 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Tuesday. If PSG does finally accomplish its primary objective (raison d`être), there will be a compelling argument that Kvaratskhelia was the most immediately impactful January signing in football history. Players like Virgil van Dijk and Nemanja Vidic went on to win major honors over time. Luis Suarez and Bruno Fernandes rapidly set their respective leagues alight. Yet, arguably none had such a swift and profound effect on their team`s immediate success and winning potential.
Given the existing talent pool, including Dembele and a strong midfield, there`s an interesting hypothetical question as to whether Luis Enrique`s side could have reached a European champion level without their $90 million addition in January. This is impossible to know for sure. What is undeniable is that incorporating Kvaratskhelia into the squad has dramatically elevated both the baseline performance level and the ultimate ceiling for the French champions.
This became abundantly clear on Tuesday night. Throughout the current season, Arsenal`s right defensive flank has felt like an unbreakable barrier. Some of the world`s top wingers – including Vinicius Junior, Savinho, Luis Diaz, and even Kvaratskhelia`s own PSG teammates back in October – have tried and failed to make a significant impact against Jurrien Timber. Mikel Arteta might instruct his wingers to provide support, but make no mistake, he trusts, indeed demands, that his fullbacks win their one-on-one duels. It almost always works, but no player has tormented Timber quite like Kvaratskhelia did.
In barely 10 minutes, Arsenal`s approach shifted dramatically. They went from hastily scrambling to assist Timber as Kvaratskhelia set up Dembele for the opening goal, to being forced to commit three players on the right side just to attempt to contain the elusive Georgian. The result? A mesmerizing dribble weaving between two of them, a desperate lunge from the right-back, and what absolutely should have been a penalty awarded to PSG.
Kvaratskhelia had less overwhelming success as the game progressed, although the constant threat he posed never truly dissipated. With 80 minutes remaining, even a combined effort from Timber and Bukayo Saka couldn`t prevent him from cutting onto his preferred right foot and unleashing a shot towards goal. Arsenal were fortunate that, on this particular occasion, Kvaratskhelia`s technique faltered slightly. They would be ill-advised to expect that to happen frequently at the Parc des Princes in the return leg.
This performance was a near-complete dissection of the opponent, the sort that has become almost routine since he transitioned to Europe`s major leagues from Batumi in the summer of 2022. When Napoli signed their new number 77, the most optimistic scenario seemed to be a season of consolidating Champions League qualification and perhaps challenging the Serie A heavyweights towards the end of the campaign. Instead, he unlocked entirely new possibilities for the Partenopei, a club that had for many years been chasing the echoes of their peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Within just a few matches, his name was being whispered with awe in Italian football circles. Months later, those whispers had turned into loud acclaim from the rooftops.
There`s a good reason why they started calling him “Kvaradona” long before he helped end Napoli`s long wait for their third Scudetto title. (As a brief digression: without adopting a cynical perspective, might Kvaratskhelia have received more votes for the Ballon d`Or in 2023 – when Yassine Bounou and Emiliano Martinez inexplicably polled higher than arguably the best player in Italy – if he had come from a footballing nation with a more traditional profile?)
Much like Diego Maradona, this is a player capable of getting fans out of their seats whenever the ball is at his feet. His incisive, cutting runs frequently culminate in stunning end products, such as the powerful strike into the roof of Emi Martinez`s net in the Champions League quarterfinal, or the beautifully weighted chip over the Bologna defense to set up Giovanni Di Lorenzo in the final matches of his time in southern Italy.
Kvaratskhelia has already captivated the hearts of one of Europe`s most emotionally invested fanbases (Napoli) and appears to be well on the path to winning over another (PSG). Within just weeks of his arrival, Parisian fans were chanting to the rhythm of “Kvara”. By embracing him so warmly and quickly, they significantly eased what could have been a challenging mid-season transition for such a distinctive and unique talent.
Kvaratskhelia himself commented on his integration, saying: `The fact that they welcomed me into the family so quickly and that I felt really happy and comfortable really helped me find my place on the pitch, and I`m doing my best to make the most of it. From the very first moment, I felt strong support from the fans. Then, when I stepped onto the pitch, I felt both happy and like a great footballer.`
And indeed, a great footballer he is. While his play with the ball might evoke the image of a somewhat old-fashioned, mercurial dribbler that many thought was a relic of the past, his contribution *without* the ball speaks volumes about the future of modern wingers. This crucial aspect is what distinguishes him from players like Neymar or a past-prime Messi who were afforded fewer defensive responsibilities at the previous iteration of PSG. On Tuesday night, he successfully executed five tackles, led his team in both interceptions and recoveries, and was even seen deep in his own half, clearing dangerous deliveries into the penalty area.
It was difficult to avoid the feeling that if Arsenal, a club that has long been in the market for a new left winger, had made a significant move for Kvaratskhelia this winter, they might have been the team looking like the tournament`s strongest contender by the semifinal stage. They never even came close to signing him after Napoli decided it was time to part ways with their star player; the preliminary work PSG had done during the summer transfer window quickly materialized into a completed deal within just a few hours midway through the January market.
This is undeniably proving to be $90 million exceptionally well spent. PSG invested superstar money, acquired superstar-level talent, and may very well discover in the near future that they have finally secured the trophy that befits a team of their ambition and expenditure. Without the catalytic arrival of Kvaratskhelia, that long-awaited Champions League triumph might never have become a reality.
Benedict Kingsley