Victor Orta held talks to sign 22-year-old for £17.5m at Leeds, now he’s valued at £87m

It has been a wonderful 12 months for Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, winning Serie A after a superb season in Italy – but it comes just two years after Victor Orta reportedly held talks to lure him to Leeds.

He joined Napoli in the summer of 2022 and sparkled in his first season. Playing 43 times in league and cup, the 26-time Georgia star had a hand in 31 goals – scoring 14 goals and laying on 17 more in assists.

But in the summer prior to his move to Napoli, it could have been very different. Russian site Soccer.Ru said Leeds were one of 10 clubs interested in signing Kvaratskhelia. Orta even held talks with his agent.

The report claims that a fee of £17.5m was needed, and in actual fact it was a slightly smaller fee that Napoli paid to land the Georgian superstar. In the summer, One Football said Napoli rated him at £87m.

Orta held talks to lure Kvaratskhelia to Leeds, now rated at £87m

What a signing he would have been. Raphinha left Leeds to join Barcelona and the club decided to sign Luis Sinisterra for north of £20m. A player with quality, but one that could not get past his injury issues.

Had we signed Kvaratskhelia, who knows. But with clubs like Napoli on his radar, it was always going to be difficult for Leeds to get his signature. Not many could have predicted just how good he has been.

Would he have been that good in a Leeds shirt? A side fighting to avoid a relegation battle at the start of 2022-23? He would not have produced the numbers he did in a Napoli side that won the Italian title.

Napoli has clearly proven to be the best move he could have imagined. The best for his career – but, it does tease the imagination to have a genuine Champions League superstar that might have joined us.