Napoli manager Antonio Conte has confirmed Chelsea target Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has asked to leave the club this month.

The 23-year-old Georgian winger is under contract with the Serie A club until 2027 having joined them from Dinamo Batumi back in 2022. This season, he has scored five goals and registered three goals across all competitions for Napoli.

However, his future was thrown into doubt this month amid a contract stand-off with the Italian giants. Chelsea, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain have all been credited with interest in the winger and are ready to pounce should an opportunity present itself.

READ MORE: Why Rio Ngumoha left Chelsea as youngster shines in Liverpool FA Cup win vs Accrington Stanley

READ MORE: Kobbie Mainoo to Chelsea transfer truth as Enzo Maresca learns harsh reality of 'surprise deal'

However, it is PSG who have been most heavily linked with the player this week, but it is not yet known whether they will be able to meet Napoli's reported £67m asking price. In a boost to the clubs monitoring Kvaratskhelia's situation, Conte has issued an update on his future.

Kvaratskhelia has been dropped by the manager ahead of Napoli's Serie A game against Verona on Sunday and Conte has confirmed the player has requested to leave this month. "We are talking about an important player, last summer I spoke to the president and I wanted to have some technical certainties by demanding the confirmation of some important players," Conte said

"Even though he and others had asked to be sold, I worked on it and managed to keep who I wanted. He [Kvaratskhelia] asked the club to be sold. I am disappointed, I realized that it was a bolt from the blue and I am taking a step back.

"I would never want him to think that I have chained him here if he were to stay. I did it last summer, thinking of convincing him of the goodness of the project, but evidently, I did not succeed. We are losing an important player.

"It's a difficult month, many players think they have their bags in hand. I have a lot of faith in this squad, I take this opportunity to say goodbye to [Michael] Folorunsho and [Elia] Caprile who have asked to be sold. I can't wait for this month of January to end because it creates some problems."

"We haven't thought about how to replace him yet, it was a bolt from the blue and today the most important thing is tomorrow's match against Verona. It's right to leave the ball in the hands of the player's entourage and the club.

"Personally, I have to try to make the most of the squad available, we can't chain anyone down. If he stays, he should know full well that it's a situation I haven't managed to resolve yet."

The latest reports from French outlet Foot Mercato indicates PSG have made two separate offers for Kvaratskhelia, the first being Randal Kolo Muani plus €45m. However, Kolo Muani rejected the opportunity to join Napoli this month despite the fact he is expected to leave PSG before the deadline.

The second offer included €60m plus Milan Skriniar, but the 29-year-old's wage demands could prove to be a stumbling block for Napoli. A report from The Athletic's David Ornstein earlier this week confirmed Chelsea are among the interested clubs, along with Liverpool and PSG.