Arsenal have made contact about a summer move for Paris Saint-Germain star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after his performance in his side’s 2-0 Champions League victory against Liverpool.
The Georgian played a major role in PSG’s triumph at the Parc des Princes, bagging the second goal, after Desire Doue opened the scoring early in the first half, leaving Arne Slot’s side with a lot of work to do in the second leg at Anfield next week.
Mikel Arteta’s side, on the other hand, are in a commanding position in their own quarter-final tie, courtesy of Kai Havertz scoring a stoppage time winner to secure a 1-0 win away at Sporting CP on Tuesday night.
The Gunners are heavy favourites to reach the semi-final, and it is now looking very likely they will be taking on Atletico Madrid, with Diego Simeone leading his side to a 2-0 victory against Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Wednesday.
After Havertz sealed the victory in Portugal, he was quick to give the majority of the credit to Gabriel Martinelli, saying: “I’ve said that about 80 per cent of the goal goes to him. I was there to finish it off. I but it was a top assist from him, I saw him and he just played the perfect pass and it was a good goal.”
PSG’s stance on Kvaratskhelia exit after Arsenal approach
However, despite Martinelli’s impressive display, Arsenal remain keen on bringing in a new left-winger this summer, and they have now made an approach to sign Kvaratskhelia, according to a report from Caught Offside.
It could be very difficult to get a deal over the line though, as the French club are unwilling to sanction a departure unless they receive a fee in the region of €180m (£157m).
As such, despite making enquiries in the wake of the Georgia international’s top performance against Liverpool, the Gunners may have to move on to alternative targets, which is disappointing, considering he has been very impressive in Ligue 1 and Europe this season.
The 25-year-old has also been lauded as “world-class” by broadcaster David Tanner, and could cause the Gunners major problems if they meet PSG in the Champions League final.
Arsenal’s alternative targets to replace Martinelli
There have been suggestions Martinelli wants to leave Arsenal in the summer, and they have already identified a number of potential replacements, with Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr perhaps the most exciting among them.
RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande is another option, with the Ivorian enjoying a seriously impressive debut season in the Bundesliga, chipping in with ten goals and seven assists in 27 matches.